Food Contaminants

Variety makes our diet interesting and enjoyable. Not only the wide choice of foods but also the ways to prepare them allow for numerous variations. When grilling your food, using an open flame, frying or smoking your food it is important that you pay attention to a few simple food handling and cooking tips. Doing so will make your meal both enjoyable and safe to eat.

Over the last few decades a succession of high profile food scares has shaken consumer confidence in the safety of food products. In the EU these food scares were the major driving force in the establishment of food safety legislation and infrastructure in order to restore confidence in the food supply chain, ‘from farm to fork’.

Consumers are constantly faced with new information regarding the health and safety of their food. However, recent evidence suggests consumers remain concerned over their food supply. Understanding current barriers to communicating the risks and benefits of food and identifying potential remedies for such challenges are the objectives of the European Commission-funded project FoodRisC. This project seeks to produce a practical toolkit that enables effective and balanced food risk communication.

For many Europeans the Autumn and Winter seasons are the ideal periods to explore more exotic holiday destinations, but travellers should be cautious, especially if they intend to visit developing countries. One in three travellers fall ill because of contaminated food and water, most often suffering from travellers’ diarrhoea (TD). Casualty rate may go up to 80% for those staying in high-risk destinations within Asia, Africa and Latin America. But don’t panic: you can prevent food- or water-borne illness provided that you take certain precautionary measures.

With growing consumer awareness of diet and health issues, there is increasing popularity within Europe for fish as a healthy eating option. Fish is a valuable source of high quality protein, minerals and vitamins. In addition, oily fish are rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), the health benefits of which are widely recognised. Recently, public confidence has been dented by a report that highlighted the risks associated with dietary exposure to environmental contaminants, such as mercury and dioxins, which are known to accumulate in fish. However, all available data and the interpretation of the competent authorities indicate that the level of contaminants in fish is far below the critical danger levels.