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Food contaminants
1. FOOD CONTAMINANTS ANDFOOD CONTAMINANTS AND
NATURALLY OCCURRINGNATURALLY OCCURRING
TOXICANTSTOXICANTS
Monika Jain
Department of Food Science and Nutrition
Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan, India
2. Monika Jain
Food Contamination- DefinitionFood Contamination- Definition
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS-
“Any substance not intentionally added to food,
which is present in such food as a result of the
production (including operations carried out in
crop husbandry, animal husbandry and
veterinary medicine), manufacture, processing,
preparation, treatment, packing, packaging,
transport or holding of such food as result of
environmental contamination”
3. Monika Jain
Examples of Food ContaminationExamples of Food Contamination
Food can get
contaminated by-
Water used for
cooking/washing
Soil in which food is
grown
Container used for
storage, preparation,
service
Personnel handling food
at various stages
Dioxin contaminated
chickens
Hormone injected cattle
GM varieties of maize
Animal carcasses used to
make animal feed and
subsequent mad cow
disease in animals
consuming the feed
Pesticide residue
containing mineral
water, soft drinks
4. Monika Jain
Classification of Contaminants inClassification of Contaminants in
FoodstuffsFoodstuffs
Contaminants
in foodstuffs
PHYSICAL BIOLOGICAL CHEMICAL
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Contaminants, Natural orContaminants, Natural or
otherwise..otherwise..
CONTAMINANTS
Naturally occurring toxicants
(toxicants in plants, animal food, anti nutritional factors)
Environmental contaminants
(biological contaminants, pesticide residues, vet drug residues, heavy metals)
Miscellaneous
(dioxins, acrylamide, contaminants from plastic)
6. Monika Jain
Food Contaminants
of Natural Origin
Toxicants in
animal foods
Toxicants in
plant foods
Anti nutritional
substances
•Shellfish toxins
•Other seafood toxins
•Toxic amino acids
•Toxic alkaloids
•Cyanogenic glycosides
•Toxic mushrooms
•Enzyme inhibitors
•Phytates
•Tannins
•Oxalates
•Goitrogens
•Haemagglutinins
7. Monika Jain
Seafood ToxinsSeafood Toxins
Most potent toxins are found in marine
products, esp., shellfish
Clams, oysters, scallops and mussels feed
on plankton and algae in the sea
Some of the plankton is toxic for us
Four separate types of shellfish poisoning
have been identified
8. Monika Jain
Types of Shellfish PoisoningTypes of Shellfish Poisoning
PARALYTIC SP
Most severe symptoms
of all
Causative agent is
Saxitoxin
It is neurotoxin produced
by Gonyaulax catenella
Symptoms in 30 mins-
headache, floating
feeling, dizziness,
tingling, burning,
numbness, difficulty in
swallowing & speaking.
Death due to paralysis of
resp. sys.
DIARRHOEIC SP
Mild gastro intestinal
symptoms
NEUROTOXIC SP
Both gastrointestinal and
neurological symptoms
AMNESIC SP
Gastrointestinal and
neurologic disorders.
Caused by the presence
of an unusual amino acid
9. Monika Jain
Other Toxicants Present inOther Toxicants Present in
SeafoodSeafood
Ciguatera toxin, a polyether, is found in
blue algae and protozoans. It’s known to
affect sensory, motor and muscular
activities.
Ingestion of improperly handled and stored
seafood causes Scombroid poisoning.
Maitoxin has been implicated. It releases
neurotransmitters and increases the
contraction of smooth, cardiac and skeletal
muscle.
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Tetrodotoxin (non pr neurotoxin) causes
Pufferfish poisoning. Symptoms are
cardiovascular and neurologic in nature.
Hallucinogenic fish poisoning can occur
with the ingestion of a no. of fish species.
Miscellaneous shellfish poisonings
include oyster, abalone and red whelk
poisoning. Starfish ingestion may be
associated with nausea and vomiting as a
result of asteritoxin.
11. Monika Jain
Toxicants in Plant FoodsToxicants in Plant Foods
Favism- Haemolytic anaemia after consuming
Fava beans. Initial symptoms include headache,
nausea, vomiting, pain and fever. This is
followed by Hb in urine, jaundice and death.
Gossypol- Toxicant present in cottonseed may
come in cottonseed oil
Erucic acid- linked to heart disease, is found in
mustard and rapeseed oil.
Cucurbitacins- Toxin in bitter cucurbits. Results
in symptoms of severe cramps, diarrhoea and
collapse.
12. Monika Jain
Specific Toxicants found in PlantSpecific Toxicants found in Plant
FoodsFoods
TOXIC AMINO ACIDS
Lathyrus sativus seeds contain BOAA. It causes
lathyrism.
It is an excitotoxin, capable of over stimulating
& destroying nerve cells.
Causes upper motor neuron disease.
Classical symptom is spastic paraplegia,
paralysis of lower limbs.
Consumption in lower quantities- painful spasms
in calf muscles, heaviness of lower limbs, pain in
knee and ankle, difficulty in walking.
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TOXIC ALKALOIDSTOXIC ALKALOIDS
Alkaloids are N heterocycles which occur mainly
in plants as their salts of common carboxylic
acids.
Potatoes contain glycoalkaloids, eg., solanine.
Consumption causes diarrhoea, vomiting,
abdominal pain, restlessness.
Consumption of mustard oil with argemone oil
(contains toxic alkaloid sanguinarine) can cause
epidemic dropsy, in which there is oedema over
ankles, gastrointestinal disturbances & vascular
& cardiac complications which can result in
death.
14. Monika Jain
CYANOGENIC GLYCOSIDESCYANOGENIC GLYCOSIDES
Cassava is a rich source of CG
(Linamarin). It may be hydrolysed
chemically or enzymatically to yield the
poisonous hydrogen cyanide.
Acute cassava poisoning- headache,
breathlessness, gasping, paralysis, muscle
weakness, coma & death.
Lima beans contain cyanide precursors.
These inhibit oxidative processes of cells.
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MUSHROOM POISONINGMUSHROOM POISONING
Caused by consumption of raw or cooked
fruiting bodies of a no. of species of higher
fungi. Four types-
Protoplasmic poisons
Neurotoxins
Gastrointestinal irritants
Disulfirum- like toxins
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Anti Nutritional Factors in FoodAnti Nutritional Factors in Food
Interfere with the assimilation of nutrients
in the body
Protease inhibitors
Phytates
Oxalates
Tannins
Lectins
Goitogens
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Protease InhibitorsProtease Inhibitors
Interfere with the action of trypsin and
chymotrypsin
Found in oats, wheat, barley, maize, onion,
beetroot, peanuts
Trypsin inhibitors are found in legmes,
white of an egg
Raw soyabeans have high levels of TI.
These can cause growth retardation &
hypertrophy of pancreas.
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HaemagglutininsHaemagglutinins
Globulin type of proteins
Present in field bean, white bean, horse gram
Have the property of agglutinating RBCs
Agglutinins combine with the cell lining of
intestinal wall & thus interfere with nutrient
absorption
Symptoms are nausea, vomiting , diarrhoea,
growth depression, decreased food intake, death.
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PhytatesPhytates
Unrefined cereals and millets are richest
sources of phytates
Phytates in cereals form insoluble
complexes with minerals such as Fe, Mg,
Zn & Ca & contibute to their poor
absorption from cereal based diets
Germination and overnight soaking reduce
phytate content
20. Monika Jain
TanninsTannins
Interfere with the absorption of iron and reduce
the availability of proteins by binding to them
Present in high amounts in seed coat of most
legumes, spices, tamarind, turmeric, certain
vegetables, fruits and particularly teaa
A typical Indian diet may contain 2-3 g of
tannins
Removal of seed coat of legumes, exclusion of
tamarind, avoiding tea with meals improve iron
absorption & reduce tannin content
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OxalatesOxalates
Mostly present in form of Ca salts
Interfere with Ca absorption
Hyperoxaluria- kidney stones
Rich sources are GLVs & some legumes
like horse gram & kesari dhal
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Goitrogens/Anti ThyroidGoitrogens/Anti Thyroid
SubstancesSubstances
Interfere with the uptake of iodine by the
thyroid gland
Can contribute to development of IDD
when I intakes are marginal
Thiocyanates, isothiocyanates & their
derivatives are the chief goitrogens present
in leaves & vegetables belonging to
Brassica genus & family Cruciferae