Chemical Contamination Pathways and the Food Safety Implications along the Various Stages of Food Production: A Review

Abstract

Historically, chemicals exceeding maximum allowable exposure levels have been disastrous to underdeveloped countries. The global food industry is primarily affected by toxic chemical substances because of natural and anthropogenic factors. Food safety is therefore threatened due to contamination by chemicals throughout the various stages of food production. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the form of pesticides and other chemical substances such as Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) have a widely documented negative impact due to their long-lasting effect on the environment. This present review focuses on the chemical contamination pathways along the various stages of food production until the food reaches the consumer. The contamination of food can stem from various sources such as the agricultural sector and pollution from industrialized regions through the air, water, and soil. Therefore, it is imperative to control the application of chemicals during food packaging, the application of pesticides, and antibiotics in the food industry to prevent undesired residues on foodstuffs. Ultimately, the protection of consumers from food-related chemical toxicity depends on stringent efforts from regulatory authorities both in developed and underdeveloped nations.

Keywords: food safety; heavy metals; persistent organic pollutants; regulatory strategies.

Figure 1

Key steps in food production, processing (farm-to-fork) till disposal. The figure is produced by authors.

Figure 2

Percentual relationship of each class of the food additives used in food industries [32]. Copyrights Elsevier.

Figure 3

Pesticide contamination in food and the number of outputs per year. Data analysis was completed using the Web of Science databases on 4 March 2021 by the authors.

Figure 4

Structure of some of the organochlorine compounds [82]. Copyrights Elsevier.

Figure 5

Sources of antibiotic usage, its spread, and transfer of resistance genes to humans. The excessive usage of antibiotics as growth stimulants in livestock and other food animals can contaminate water sources when animal excreta is washed off with water into the environment (a). The contamination of sewage treatment plants can be a result of excessive human usage of antibiotics (b). Hospitals and pharmaceutical industries contribute significantly to wastewater treatment plants’ pollution by antibiotics when they are illegally let into sewage systems (c,d). Improper disposal of antibiotic pills and unprescribed over-the-counter antibiotics can contaminate wastewater treatment plants (e,f) [104]. Copyrights Elsevier.

Figure 6

Fate of Veterinary antibiotics [114]. Copyrights Elsevier.

Figure 7

Heavy metal contamination in food and the number of outputs per year. Data analysis was completed using the Web of Science database on 04 March 2021 by the authors.