FOOD 2010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Degenerative Disease, Food Safety, Gastroenteritis
Document Summary
Synthetic toxins such as drug residues, hormones, pesticides, or environmental pollutants enter the food supply because of human intervention. There are many potentially toxic chemical which are produced in nature that can be detected in foods. Some endogenous toxins are not harmful since they are found in very low concentrations, while some may cause serious illness at low doses ex. cyanide compounds and some poisonous mushrooms. Long term exposure to low dosages of endogenous toxins have been associated with increased risks of degenerative disease or cancers. The other class of naturally occurring toxins include compounds which are not produced by the food itself, but are the result of natural phenomena (marine toxins contaminating sh) or microbial contamination of food. Prudent selection and handling of food can help to minimize exposure to this type of toxin. Food safety hazards include all microbiological, chemical, and foreign materials that if ingested could cause injury and/or harm.