Table 1.
Chemical hazards in food matrices.
| Category | Sub-Category | Source Example | Substance Example | Food Matrix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural toxins | Mycotoxin | Mould | Aflatoxin | Peanut |
| Plant toxin | Plant in response to stress | Glycoalkaloids | Potato tuber | |
| Marine toxin | Fish decomposing | Histamine | Tuna | |
| Bioaccumulation from algae | Saxitoxin | Clam | ||
| Environmental contaminants | Inorganic, heavy metals | Industrial manufacture, mining, pesticide degradation | Arsenic, lead, mercury | Seafood |
| Persistent organic pollutants | Polychlorinated biphenyl | Fish, milk | ||
| Unapproved food additives | - | Adulteration, importation | Sudan dye | Paprika |
| Processing-induced chemicals | - | Surfactant, antimicrobial, undesired reaction, migrate from container | Nitrosamines, melamine, bisphenol A | Processed foods |
| Pesticides/agricultural product | Herbicide, insecticide, fungicide | Agricultural practice, sanitation misconduct | Azoxystrobin | Peach |
| Veterinary drugs | Animal disease control | Clenbuterol | Meat | |
| Food sensitivity | Food allergens | Cross contamination, improper labeling | Peanut, milk, fish, gluten | Various |
| Food intolerances | Lactose | |||
| Chemical sensitivity | Monosodium glutamate | |||
| Biochemistry-related | - | Genetically modified food, cross contamination, improper labeling, adulteration | Adulterant | Meat, flour, corn |
| Novel foods and others | - | New formulation or processing procedure | DNA-damaged ingredients, drugs | Various |