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TO
CHEMICALS
IN FOOD
Introduction
All foods, living matter and, indeed, our bodies themselves
Allmade
are
up of chemicals.
foods,
living matter and, indeed,
themselves
madenaturally
up and
our
Manybodies
of the chemicals
found in are
food occur
include
nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibre
of chemicals.
and
a host of other elements and compounds.
There are many potentially harmful
or toxic chemicals present in the
food we eat, whether occurring
naturally, as contaminants, or as
deliberate additives..
CONTAMINANTS
These are the substances present in certain foodstuffs
due to environmental contamination, cultivation practices,
production processes or cooking practices.
Some contaminants are formed naturally, carried over to
food from water, soil or air. Or created as a bi-product
of the food production process itself.
If contaminants present above certain levels, these can
pose a threat to human health.
->dioxins
->Acrylamide
->Aflatoxin
EFFECTS
EXCESS INTAKE OF ACRYLAMIDE CAN CAUSE:
DNA damage.
Cancer
Drowsiness
Megrim
AFLATOXIN CAUSES LIVER DAMAGE.
DIOXINS CAN CAUSE CANCER.
ADDITIVES
These are substances added to food to
preserve flavor or enhance its taste and
appearance.
The best known additives are:
Preservatives
Flavors
Colors
More
All packaged foods are tinted with preservatives.
Sodium benzoate and benzoic acid are food preservatives found in sauces,
fruit juices, jams and pickled products. can cause allergic reactions and other
side effects.
Sodium Nitrates and nitrites are chemical compounds commonly used in making
cured meat products like bacon and hot dogs. Excessive consumption of sodium
nitrate is known to worsen asthma and decrease lung function.
.
FLAVORS
Flavorings are chemical formulations that mimic the flavors and smells of
foods.
McDonald's, for example, adds "chicken flavor" to its Chicken McNuggets
The chemical Octyl Acetate is the main component in orange flavor, while
isoamyl acetate is the main component of banana flavor.
Flavors causes less harm comparitively.
PESTICIDES
Pesticidesare substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing,
destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.
Herbicides kill the unwanted weeds in the field without affecting the crops.
Herbicides have a high variable toxicity. It is one of the possible causes of
carcinogenicity as well as other continuing problems such as being a part
cause of Parkinsons disease.
Fungicides are chemical or biological substance used against fungi or fungal
spores. Residues of the fungicides have been found on the food that humans
consume.
Plants also take up small amounts of heavy metals and can concentrate
them.Heavy metals such as lead and cadmium are already toxic in small
quantities.
The insecticide is a pesticide used against insects that damages the crops.
The insecticide is used in agriculture, industry, medicine, and in the household
DDT or dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane is a powerful pesticide that is long
banned because it is poisonous to humans and animals. One of the better
known effects of DDT is the decrease in the bird population as it reduces the
thickness of the egg shells on predatory birds decreasing its viability. In
humans, this causes defects in newborn babies.
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