Nutrition and Food Chemistry

Food Toxicology and Health Hazards

Food toxicology investigates the presence and effects of toxic substances in food and their potential impact on human health. These substances can be naturally occurring, such as mycotoxins from mold, cyanogenic glycosides in certain fruits, or glycoalkaloids in potatoes, or introduced during processing and packaging, such as acrylamide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and bisphenol A. Contaminants may also originate from environmental pollution, including pesticide residues, heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, or industrial chemicals leaching into the food chain. Understanding the toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics of these compounds is critical in assessing their risk and establishing safe exposure limits. Toxicological assessments include acute, sub-chronic, and chronic studies using in vitro and in vivo models to evaluate carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity. The development of alternative testing methods such as organ-on-chip, computational toxicology, and cell culture models is helping to reduce reliance on animal testing while improving precision. Risk assessment frameworks integrate hazard identification, dose-response evaluation, exposure analysis, and risk characterization to guide regulatory decisions. The role of biomarkers, bioavailability studies, and metabolomics is expanding in this field to identify early warning signs and mechanisms of toxicity. Public health policies rely on food toxicology data to implement safety standards, recall contaminated products, and update food legislation. Consumer education is also important in preventing health risks associated with improper cooking, storage, or selection of food. The ongoing evolution of industrial food production and packaging technologies requires continuous monitoring for unintended toxic by-products. As the food environment becomes more complex, the science of toxicology remains vital in protecting public health, supporting regulatory compliance, and ensuring the long-term safety of the global food supply.