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Food Matters

Spud's Down to Earth Advice on...

CHEMICAL FOOD POISONING - AN INTRODUCTION

Food poisoning can be caused not just by bacteria and viruses but by a range of harmful chemicals present in the following:

poisonous plants and fungi
poisonous fish
mycotoxins (produced by moulds)
chemical contaminants
shellfish contaminated with toxins

What should I know?
The consequences of consuming food contaminated with chemicals may be either acute or chronic poisoning, as follows:

Eating a food containing a high level of a toxic chemical could cause acute poisoning i.e. symptoms develop rapidly after consumption.
In contrast, eating foods with low levels of toxic chemicals over a longer period of time causes chronic poisoning i.e. the symptoms only become apparent much later.

Serious contamination of food by chemicals causing acute illness is much less common than bacterial or viral contamination. Chemical contaminants can enter the food chain at any point in the production, distribution, storage and sale of food. Consequently, knowledge of:

the various harmful chemicals in food
the symptoms that such chemicals may produce
how exposure to such chemicals can be prevented or avoided

will help to safeguard food consumers, whether they be in a restaurant or at home.

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Thursday 9 September 2010