Preview
Chemicals can play an important role in food production and preservation. Food additives can, for example, extend the shelf life of foods; others, like colors, can make foods more appealing. Flavorings are used to make foods more flavorful. Food supplements are used as sources of nutrition Science of the relationship between food and the body’s subsistence needs..
Food packaging materials and containers such as bottles, cups and plates, used to improve food handling and transport, may contain chemicals such as plastic, elements of which can migrate into food. Other chemicals may be used to control diseases in farm animals or crops, or may sometimes be found in food following a production process such as heating/cooking or decontamination treatment .
A few plants and mushrooms naturally produce toxins that can contaminate crops and cause concern for human and animal health. People can also be exposed to natural and artificial chemical compounds present at different levels. in the environment, for example in soil, water and the atmosphere. Examples include industrial pollutants such as dioxins and PCBs. Various metals can occur naturally in the environment or as a result of human activity.
