Background Food! We have discussed food from a variety of angles in the course. We all eat food for energy, nutritional benefits and, for some of us, because it can be delicious which confers a pyscho-social benefit. Unfortunately the food we eat can also present risks (the probability that an adverse outcome could occur). There is a long list of types of food contaminants that could present and that have presented risks to the consumers. For example, food-borne contaminants that could cause illness and even death include some parasites, pathogenic bacteria, virus and prions (a type of protein that can cause abnormal protein configurations in the brain).  Some of these are zoonotic (transferred from animals). Toxic chemical contaminants can also be found in foods, such as polychlorinated dibenzo dioxins (PCDDs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), arsenic and metals. In a simplistic way, “the dose makes the poison”. Regulatory agencies have used the more complex science behind this simple phrase to set limits for acceptable levels of food-borne contaminants, e.g., limits for Escherichia coli ( E. coli) bacteria. Setting those limits can be complicated for some non-lethal contaminants where the benefits of consuming a food must be weighed against the risks. An example here is mercury that accumulates in fish as methylmercury which is a potent neurotoxicant. However, eating fish also confers health benefits as fish are an excellent source of essential omega-3 fatty acids that contribute to neurological development and some evidence points to cardiovascular health. Note that all foods purchased in Canada, including imported food, must pass Canadian food safety regulations that are implemented through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) but their spot testing does not necessarily result in 100% compliance with regulations. Goal To discover for one type of food that you eat: (a) one or more nutrient(s) and its health benefit(s), and (b) one or more contaminant(s) that have been found in that food and its harmful effect Your report MUST be substantiated with a minimum of two peer-reviewed references. .

1. Background
Food! We have discussed food from a variety of angles in the
course. We all eat food for energy, nutritional benefits and, for
some of us, because it can be delicious which confers a pyscho-
social benefit. Unfortunately the food we eat can also present
risks (the probability that an adverse outcome could occur).
There is a long list of types of food contaminants that could
present and that have presented risks to the consumers. For
example, food-borne contaminants that could cause illness and
even death include some parasites, pathogenic bacteria, virus
and prions (a type of protein that can cause abnormal protein
configurations in the brain). Some of these are zoonotic
(transferred from animals). Toxic chemical contaminants can
also be found in foods, such as polychlorinated dibenzo dioxins
(PCDDs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), arsenic and
metals.
In a simplistic way, “the dose makes the poison”. Regulatory
agencies have used the more complex science behind this simple
phrase to set limits for acceptable levels of food-borne
contaminants, e.g., limits for
Escherichia coli
(
E. coli)
bacteria. Setting those limits can be complicated for some non-
lethal contaminants where the benefits of consuming a food
must be weighed against the risks. An example here is mercury
that accumulates in fish as methylmercury which is a potent
neurotoxicant. However, eating fish also confers health benefits
as fish are an excellent source of essential omega-3 fatty acids
that contribute to neurological development and some evidence
points to cardiovascular health.
Note that all foods purchased in Canada, including imported

2. food, must pass Canadian food safety regulations that are
implemented through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
(CFIA) but their spot testing does not necessarily result in
100% compliance with regulations.
Goal
To discover for one type of food that you eat: (a) one or more
nutrient(s) and its health benefit(s), and (b) one or more
contaminant(s) that
have been found
in that food and its harmful effect Your report MUST be
substantiated with a minimum of two peer-reviewed references.