Food Monitoring and Control for Environmental Contaminants

Environmental contaminants migrate across national borders, therefore their release and presence in the environment cannot be fully controlled via national or regional legislation. In addition to polluting air, rivers, the sea and soil, environmental contaminants can and often do end up in the food chain. This paper characterises environmental contaminants, describes their occurrence in food and outlines the associated economic impact. The problem is exemplified through three groups of contaminants, namely, dioxins and PCBs, PAHs, and trace elements. The status of current harmonisation efforts at legislative and analytical level are outlined, with a special focus on the situation within the EU. Recommendations are advanced for achieving a greater level of harmonisation at international level.

ROSE Martin;  THOMSON Barbara;  JENSEN Anne-Mette;  GIORGI Liana;  SCHULZ Claudia; 

2009-09-28

Blackwell Publishing Ltd

JRC51422

1757-8361,   

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122295959/home,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC51422,   

10.1111/j.1757-837x.2009.00027.x,