All food is composed of chemicals such as fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and fiber. Manufacturers can add chemical additives to preserve food better or preserve its taste. But sometimes, chemical contamination can seriously harm human health and compromise a company’s reputation. Chemical hazards are a huge concern when it comes to ensuring public health.
In this blog, let’s find out what chemical hazards are, see the examples, and think about what food companies can do to minimize the risks of chemical contamination.
What Is a Chemical Hazard in Food?
The definition of a chemical hazard is not a single sentence but a set of significant aspects that form its concept.
Chemical hazards are harmful substances that can contaminate food. Chemical hazards can cause health issues for consumers. These hazards can have a natural origin or result from improper food handling.
Not all chemicals are dangerous, but they can cause harm when in excessive amounts or misused. Ensuring food safety and product quality requires correctly identifying and controlling chemical hazards.
Types of Chemical Hazards
Naturally occurring: The World Health Organization states that natural toxins in food are a defense mechanism of plants and can cause adverse consequences to human health. Examples include kidney beans, reef fish, seafood, potatoes, eggplants, and mushrooms.
Intentionally added: Chemicals can be added to food on purpose and can be dangerous if they exceed the allowed limit.
Unintentionally added: Manufacturers need to pay attention to the point at which sanitation liquids, pesticides, mechanical lubricants, or other products used in the process can enter the food.
Food allergens: Food can contain allergens that can cause minor or severe allergic reactions.
Сhemical Hazard Examples
Now, we get that chemical hazards can be everywhere, but what is an example of a chemical food hazard?
The FDA provides a list of chemical contaminants and pesticides, and it classifies them in several categories:
Environmental Contaminants
Environmental contaminants occur naturally in soil, water, or other environments where the food is grown and cultivated. These contaminants include:
- Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, and Cadmium
- Perchlorate
- Radionuclides (radioactive forms of elements)
- Human-made chemicals, including Benzene, Dioxins and PCBs, and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).
Process Contaminants
Some chemical hazards can appear as a result of food processing or heating:
- 3-Monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) Esters and Glycidyl Esters (GE)
- 4-Methylimidazole (4-MEI)
- Acrylamide
- Ethyl Carbamate
- Furan
Toxins
Plants, fungi, bacteria, algae, and animals produce these chemical contaminants. For example:
- Mycotoxins: deoxynivalenol, aflatoxins, fumonisins, patulin, and ochratoxin A
- Blue-green algae Products and Microcystins
- Hypoglycin A and Ackee Fruit
- Algal and Bacterial Toxins found in Seafood
Pesticides
Growers use pesticides to protect their products from pests, weeds, and fungi. Pesticide residue can stay on food, and if it exceeds the permitted amount, it can cause health problems. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates their usage and determines the acceptable amount of residue.
What Are the Sources of Chemical Hazards?
Chemical hazards exist all around us; even food has chemical components. Let’s discuss where chemical hazards exist and what can happen if people misuse them.
Environment
Air, water, and soil are natural sources of chemicals. Water can contain chemicals; if unsanitized, it can contaminate food with heavy metals and the person consuming it. Soil can contain chemicals that plants can absorb and pass on to the consumer. If contaminated water is used to grow plants, this, too, can affect the end product, and the contamination can make its way into the food chain.
The air can also contain harmful industrial emissions that can get into water and soil.
Food Processing and Manufacturing
Chemical hazards can be present on equipment, additives, and contact materials during food processing and manufacturing. These can include packaging, food additives, and cleaning chemicals.
Agricultural Production
Residue from pesticides and fertilizers on crops and produce can be limited. Otherwise, it can harm the human body and the environment.
Food
Chemicals are present in food ingredients, and in most cases, this is normal. However, food with high-risk chemical components is sometimes forbidden to consume or must be appropriately handled to become safe.
Storage and Transportation
Improper storage and distribution of foods can lead to food spoilage and the development of harmful chemical hazards. For instance, inappropriately stored or transported grains can emit mycotoxins and become moldy. This can also cause cross-contamination. If one batch of products is spoiled, toxins like mold can spread to other food items stored closely.
How To Act if a Chemical Hazard Is Detected?
If you have identified a chemical hazard, don’t panic. You must follow some steps to handle an issue efficiently:
- Identify the source and the nature of a hazard. Figure out where the affected product comes from.
- Isolate the contaminated product. If you find hazardous food, remove it from the production line, storage, etc, to prevent further cross-contamination.
- Report a chemical hazard. Notify responsible teams and authorities so they can respond appropriately.
- Record an incident. The documented information will include the name of the responsible food handler, the type of chemical, the batch number, and the corrective action.
- Implement corrective actions. Take corrective action to prevent similar cases in the future. For example, you can change suppliers, improve storing conditions, etc – it depends on the source of a chemical hazard.
- Risk assessment. Analyze the risks related to chemical contamination so you can take further measures.
- Dispose of a contaminated product according to the regulations so it doesn’t influence the environment and doesn’t reenter the food supply chain.
- Continuous improvement. Consider the incident and work on enhancements to prevent hazard recurrence. Measures can include streamlining monitoring, updating food safety protocols, etc.
Effects of Chemical Hazards in Food
Chemical food hazards can also cause problems for consumers and manufacturers. Let’s examine what chemical contamination can lead to.
Consequences for Public Health
Сhemical pathogens can cause foodborne illnesses or poisoning. They can also cause long-term conditions such as cancer, disrupted body metabolism, or minor diseases. People are more prone to getting ill if they consume a considerable amount of chemicals. Exposure and toxicity are the risk factors that influence the severity of chemical contamination for a human organism.
Some typical symptoms of chemical poisoning or a foodborne disease are:
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Allergies or rashes
- Breathing difficulties, etc.
We recommend you contact your doctor if you feel these or any other symptoms after consuming food.
Consequences for Food Manufacturers
Chemical contamination also impacts food manufacturers, but the outcomes differ. Food companies accountable for their consumers’ health problems can undergo food recalls, legal issues, and lose consumer trust.
How Can Food Manufacturers Prevent a Chemical Hazard From Occurring?
If you want to deal with chemical hazards successfully, you must prevent them, and you can do so by following some requirements and procedures.
Proper hazard analysis makes chemical control possible. The FDA established the requirements for food safety, including chemical prevention. You must follow Good Manufacturing Practices and have a HACCP plan and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures).
You also must train your employees to handle food so any hazard doesn’t enter the product. The training will include hygiene practices like handwashing. Remember about sanitation procedures established on site.
Separate food from potential contaminants and use unreactive packaging and other materials in contact with food.
Implement a document management system for efficient recordkeeping and establish relations with verified and certified suppliers.
Remember the food traceability system—an essential part of food safety. Risk assessment strategies will help you assume and predict risks, making it possible to omit contamination.
The principles of food safety are a “must-follow,” and adhering to them will minimize the risks of chemical contamination.
If you feel stuck or overwhelmed with the responsibility and upcoming tasks for hazard prevention, you can automate and boost the process with qualified help and technical support.
How Can I Streamline Chemical Hazard Analysis and Prevention?
A good manufacturer will look for ways to automate the processes and ask for help, as doing otherwise can lead to human-made mistakes. Trial and error takes more time and money than investing in proper software and consulting services.
FoodReady food safety software is affordable, multi-functional software that helps food and beverage businesses reach their food safety goals, and chemical hazard monitoring and prevention is one of them.
With FoodReady software, writing and implementing a HACCP plan, managing food traceability, tracking suppliers, and ensuring effective document management and record keeping is easier.
Apart from software features, you can benefit from FoodReady food safety consulting. Our qualified experts will guide you, answer your food safety compliance and certification questions, and even help you get a certificate.
We strive to digitize food safety compliance and ensure the safety of the food supply chain. Contact us for more information on handling chemical hazards without extra expenses or worries.
Conclusion
Chemical hazards in food products can occur naturally, or chemicals can be intentionally or unintentionally added to a food product. In any case, food manufacturers must control chemical hazards and keep them within the allowed limits.
Chemical hazards can adversely affect public health, undermining customer trust, brand reputation, and stability. That’s why food businesses prefer to prevent risks rather than handle real contamination cases.
Chemical hazards are everywhere – in the food, environment, equipment, and sanitation liquids. Taking them under control with a digital solution is your best decision. Save your time and money (and a nervous system) with FoodReady software – your all-in-one tool for consulting and software support in chemical hazard analysis and management.
FAQs
Agencies like FDA and USDA establish rules, requirements, and standards for food manufacturing and agriculture companies. They can also carry out inspections and initiate recalls. These agencies are responsible for public health.
Food packaging materials can be harmful when in contact with food. They can emit chemicals like BPA or heavy metals, especially when heated or stored improperly.
Some methods for preventing heavy metals in food include strict quality control, supplier management, testing, and maintenance management.
A traceability system is a key to effective chemical hazard management. It helps quickly find the source of contamination, speeds up and facilitates recalls, and holds the right employees accountable for contamination.
Food businesses must label products properly to inform customers, conduct risk assessments, and use approved and regulated additives.
Facility employees must be appropriately educated on handling food and chemical hazards and following sanitation and hygiene practices.
