Food Derived Hazards to Human Health
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A hazard is something that is potentially harmful - to humans, animals or the environment. There are many different hazards to humans that can arise in food. This section will describe the main ones.
They are:
Foreign Bodies
Foreign body contamination is the main cause of customer complaints & litergation relating to food hazards in the UK & other develooped countries. The foreign bodies may be metal, stone, plastic, hair etc.... Cereals, bread & flour are most commonly affected followed by processed meats, poultry & fish. Deteection systems may be in place. They may consist of metal detectors, X-ray machines or just visual inspection (1).
Pathogenic Organisms & their Toxins
Most overt food borne disease is caused by this category of hazards. Consequently this section will be dealt with in depth, see Foodborne Pathogenic Organisms.
Chemical Hazards
See Chemical Hazards
Radionucleotides
Although unusual, contamination of livestock with caesium-137 occurred after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster in 1986.
Genetically Modified (GM) Foods
In this context this refers to organisms who have have had their genetic make up altered by molecular bioengineering. This can bring about transgenic organisms that carry genes taken from different species.
Arguments against GM foods is that a GM strain may be used to such an extent that it limits biological diversity, causing a loss of the genetic material contained in lost & unused non-GM organisms, potentially compromising food security. Furthermore, if the GM strains are provided by a few multinational companies it could lead to an undesirable dependancy on these companies. Other issues are potential antimicrobial resistance arising through certain manufacturing conditions used in the creation some GM organisms. Also concern exists about the development of resistance to insecticides & herbicides produced by some GM organisms.
Countering this, the use of GM foods could lead to increased production & reduced costs along with better organoleptic properties.
The risk posed by GM foods is difficult to assess due to a lack of knowledge about their use & consequences. Regardless customers want to know if their food contains GM products or not. Differences in attitudes towards GM foods in the USA & the EU have led to trade wars.
The use of GM organisms is more accepted in medical biotechnology than food production.
See EFSA-Genetically Modified Organisms