RISKS DUE TO

CHEMICALS IN FOOD

IntroductionAll foods, living matter and, indeed, our bodies

themselves are made up of chemicals.

Many of the chemicals found in food occur naturally and include nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibre and a host of other elements and compounds.

•All foods, living matter and, indeed, our bodies themselves are made up of chemicals.•There are many potentially harmful or toxic chemicals present in the food we eat, whether occurring naturally, as contaminants, or as deliberate additives..

Chemicals present in our food in many ways.

Contaminants

Additives

Pesticides or Veterinary Medicines

Some natural components of plants may themselves cause toxicity. Eg. glycoalkaloids in potatoes.

CONTAMINANTS

These are the substances present in certain foodstuffs due to environmental contamination, cultivation practices, production processes or cooking practices.

Some contaminants are formed naturally, carried over to food from water, soil or air. Or created as a bi-product of the food production process itself.

If contaminants present above certain levels, these can pose a threat to human health.

->Acrylamide

->Aflatoxin->dioxins

EFFECTS

EXCESS INTAKE OF ACRYLAMIDE CAN CAUSE:

DNA damage.CancerDrowsinessMegrim

AFLATOXIN CAUSES LIVER DAMAGE.

DIOXINS CAN CAUSE CANCER.

.

ADDITIVESThese are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its taste and appearance.The best known additives are:•Preservatives•Flavors•Colors

Preservatives are mainly used

To prevent bacterial and fungal growth.

To prevent oxidation (which can lead to rancidity).

To inhibit natural ripening of fruits and vegetables.

long lasting food means more preservatives.

All packaged foods are tinted with preservatives.

Sodium benzoate and benzoic acid are food preservatives found in sauces, fruit juices, jams and pickled products. can cause allergic reactions and other side effects.

More

Potassium bromate is used in breads and other bakery products to increase their volume. The residual amount of this oxidizing agent in bread, is harmful if consumed.

Sodium Nitrates and nitrites are chemical compounds commonly used in making cured meat products like bacon and hot dogs. Excessive consumption of sodium nitrate is known to worsen asthma and decrease lung function.

.

Color additives are used in foods for many reasons:

To offset color loss due to exposure to light, air, temperature extremes, moisture and storage conditions.

To correct natural variations in color.

To enhance colors that occur naturally

To provide color to colorless and "fun" foods.

used in food products cause many health problems | Children should be encouraged to take food made with fresh fruits and vegetables

Artificial colours are made out of petro chemicals.  Orange colour is generally used to give colour to sweet recipes like Ravvakesari. Children who consume sweet, junk and fast foodwith artificial colours face behaviour problems and other problems of growth.  There would be more ill effects in the long run and children lose concentration.

Keep away from candies, and sweets.  Red colour that is used in these causes some types of allergies and chronic diseases like thyroid.  Usage of dark red colour caused deadly cancer and other genetic problems

. Dangerous tumours are formed in brain due to blue1 and blue2 colours.  Red rashes may appear on the skin.  This colour may cause skin related and other chronic allergies. 

Green colour is used while cooking green peas, gel, kulfis, paneer recipes, cakes and jams.  Excess use of this colour causes asthma and cancer.

FLAVORS

Flavorings are chemical formulations that mimic the flavors and smells of foods.

 McDonald's, for example, adds "chicken flavor" to its Chicken McNuggets

The chemical Octyl Acetate is the main component in orange flavor, while isoamyl acetate is the main component of banana flavor.

Flavors causes less harm comparitively.

PESTICIDES

Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.

Five common types of deadly pesticides are the herbicides ,fungicides ,heavy metals ,insecticides and DDT.

Herbicides kill the unwanted weeds in the field without affecting the crops. Herbicides have a high variable toxicity. It is one of the possible causes of carcinogenicity as well as other continuing problems such as being a part cause of Parkinson’s disease.

Fungicides are chemical or biological substance used against fungi or fungal spores. Residues of the fungicides have been found on the food that humans consume.

Plants also take up small amounts of heavy metals and can concentrate them. Heavy metals such as lead and cadmium are already toxic in small quantities.

The insecticide is a pesticide used against insects that damages the crops. The insecticide is used in agriculture, industry, medicine, and in the household

DDT or dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane is a powerful pesticide that is long banned because it is poisonous to humans and animals. One of the better known effects of DDT is the decrease in the bird population as it reduces the thickness of the egg shells on predatory birds decreasing its viability. In humans, this causes defects in newborn babies.

EFFECTS OF PESTICIDES ON HUMAN HEALTH

Some of the effects of pesticide on humans are the damage to the reproductive system, nervous system, and other organs, behavioural and developmental abnormalities, interference of hormone function as well as affecting the immunity system. The pesticides gather in the fat deposits in the body where they stay and cause a lot of damage. Most of the infants and young children drinking breast milk ingest pesticides as women who eat fruits and vegetables that have been sprayed with pesticides may pass the pesticides through their breast milk while pregnant women can pass the pesticides onto their fetus.

GLYCOALKALOID (NATURAL TOXIN)

Many plants in the Solanaceae family contain glycoalkaloids, and they are considered to be natural toxins.

Amongst the most widely cultivated food crops, aubergines, tomatoes and potatoes are in the Solanaceae familY

Causes nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and headache. More serious cases have experienced neurological problems, including hallucinations and paralysis, and fatalities have also been recorded.

EAT HEALTHY & STAY HEALTHY

THANK YOU