Chemical safety of cereal-based foods: risk management considerations

Abstract

Cereals are a significant food-source for man and his animals and, as such, are extensively traded on the international market. Given the quantities consumed, even low levels of chemical contamination can have significance both in terms of consumer health and the agri-food economy. In terms of the food-safety aspects of cereals and their products, considerable attention has been paid to the role of chemical contaminants. These can arise both during cultivation and/or when cereals are processed. Contamination can arise as a consequence of natural phenomena (e.g. heavy metals and mycotoxins) or by the direct actions of man himself (e.g. pesticides and food process toxicants). However, even where natural phenomena are the direct cause, the presence of the resulting contaminants can be aggravated or mitigated by agronomic and/or subsequent processing practices. In terms of assuring consumer safety, these issues are being addressed as part of the ongoing development of an international consensus on food-safety in terms of good agricultural and manufacturing practices as well as through the evolution of regulatory limits and codes of practice to achieve them.