Formed chemicals

Food substances are chemical in nature.

Food processing  is a chemical change processing  new chemicals can be generating (that may
be harmful substances).

Process contaminants: refer to chemicals formed unintentionally during certain food processing
methods.

 Hydrogenation: harmful contaminants that may develop cancer.

 Dry heat process
 Fermentation
 Acid hydrolysis

1. Hydrogenation

-A process under which hydrogen is added to vegetable oils.

Unsaturated fatty acid  change to saturated fatty acid.

Double bond  change to single bond.

Aim:

 Change structure and form

o Liquid oil: change to semi-solid or solid
 Prolong shelf-life
 Provide desirable texture

-Complete hydrogenation (unsaturated FA  100% to saturated FA) can occur.

-Partial hydrogenation (from unsaturated FA  some to saturated FA or trans Fats A) can occur.

What are trans fats?

Also called trans fatty acid, are a type of unsaturated fats. They are mainly formed during the
process of hydrogenation of vegetable oils.

Features:
  Unsaturated fatty acid.
 Trans-configuration.
 Semi-solid or solid.
 Hydrogenation of vegetable oils.

What food may content trans fats?

Sources:

 Natural sources (milk, butter).

 Fried and bakery food
 Hydrogenation of vegetable oils (shortening products or margarine products).

What are the effects?

 Health effects
o Heart diseases (increase LDL low density lipoprotein and decrease HDL high
density lipoprotein)
o Obesity
o Reproductive function
o Hypomnesia
 DDT!!

How to control and reduce the levels?

FAO/WHO

Trans FAs (Fats): <1% daily energy intake

What are the differences between trans fats and saturated fats?

 Trans fats:
o Sources: plants
o Fatty Acid: unsaturated FA
o Health effect: increase low density lipoprotein (LDL) and decrease high density
lipoprotein (HDL)
 Saturated fats:
o Sources: animals
o Fatty Acid: saturated FA
o Health effect: increase low density lipoprotein

VEGETABLE OILS  Hydrogenations  trans fats  bad for health

2. Dry-heat process

A process via air or fat is used to cook food.

 Medium: air, fat

  High temperature > 100°C
 Generate process contaminants
 Components: carbohydrates, fats, proteins.

Harmful substances (all produce cancer)

 Carbohydrate-rich food  acrylamide

 High fat meats  (PAHs) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
 Protein-rich food  heterocyclic amines (HCAs)

Associated food

 Deep-frying 160-180°C
 Baking 220°C
 Charcoal grilling 370°C
 Gas/electric grilling 315°C
 Coffee
 Smoking

How to control/reduce it?

 Lower processing temperature

 Lower processing time
 Moist-heat processing

Barbecued food & food safety?

Barbecued food usually refers to food cooked by dry heat methods (cooking without liquid) with a
characteristic aroma.

Types of barbecued food:

 Broiling: heating food from heat source above

 Grilling: heating food from below
 Roasting: heating food from all sides

Hazards in Barbecued food:

 PAHs polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

o >200°C high-fat meats
o Charcoal grilling 50-150 ug/kg > gas/electric grilling 5-10 ug/kg > broiling
 HCAs heterocyclic amines
o > 160°C protein-rich food
 Microbiological contamination
o Parasites

How to reduce the risk?

 Avoid overindulging in barbecued food

 Not to cook food for too long
  Not cook food art high temperatures
 Avoid contact foods with flames
 Better to barbecue food beneath the heat source

3. Fermentation

As

4. Acid hydrolysis

Migration of chemicals

Food contact materials

Refer to any articles intended to come into contact with food

 Packaging materials
 Kitchen utensils

How to migrate into food?

From the materials, it migrates to food. It can be toxic.

Factors:

 The material of the tableware

 The type of food (aqueous, acidic, alcoholic or fatty)
 The nature of the food (solid, aqueous)
 Temperature
 Duration of contact
 Area of contact

Some examples:

 Melamine-ware
 Bisphenol A (BPA)
 Plasticizers
 Microplastics

Melamine-are

Tableware made of melamine-formaldehyde resins intended for repeated use. (cubiertos de

resina).

 Feature:
o Durability
o Good chemical stability
o Heat resistance -30°C to 120°C
 Chemical constituents:
o Melamine (toxic, migrates to food)
o Formaldehyde (toxic, migrated to food)
Melamine

 Toxicity
o Low acute toxicity (IARC)
o Carcinogenicity to humans (Group 3)
o Renal stones infants and children
 TDI
o WHO  0.2 mg/kg body weight

Formaldehyde

 Toxicity
o Large amount: acute toxicity several abdominal pain, vomiting, coma, renal injury,
possible death
o Chronic toxicity: carcinogenic to humans (Group 1)
o Fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, crustaceans, etc. MRL: 300-400 mg/kg food

Key point

 Migration of a small amount of melamine and formaldehyde is not expected to cause

adverse health effects.
 Melamine-ware is safe for food use when used according to the manufacturer’s
instructions
 Melamine-ware should not be used for cooking or heating in microwave.

Bisphenol A

Is an industrial chemical used to make a hard plastic called polycarbonate (PC) and epoxy resins.

Thermal papers, baby bottles.

Contaminated pathway:

BPA  migrate  food  affect human health

 Toxicity:
o Low acute toxicity
o No carcinogenicity
o Hormonal properties
o Adverse health effects (reproduction, nervous system, behavioural development)
 Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI)
o EFSA: <0.05 mg/kg body weight everyday
o No country has banned BPA in food container and food cans

Plasticizers

Are substances added to materials such as hard plastics to improve their flexibility and durability.

Aim: flexibility and durability

-PVC Polyvinyl Chloride  Improve flexibility and durability

-Phthalates  PVC

DEHP (1-40%), DINP, DBP (food packaging materials)  used in PVC

 Applications:
o Building materials
o Clothing
o Cosmetics
o Perfumes
o Food packaging
o Toys
o Blood transfusion bags and tubing
o Vinyl products (shower curtains, raincoats)

What is the toxicity of plasticizer?

 Toxicity:
o Acute toxicity: low
o Long-term toxicity: endocrine system (most sensitive system), carcinogenic,
development abnormalities, fetal death, immature male reproductive tract
o Carcinogenic: DEHP (liver, kidney, reproduction, development) > DINP, DBP
(reproduction, development, birth effect)

How does plasticizer enter our food?

 Migration of plasticizer
o Food contact materials PVC, it migrates to food.
o Air, soil, water

Clouding agent  is a kind of emulsifier, an additive, which forms or maintains a uniform emulsion
of two or more phases in a food.

 Sport drinks, juice drinks, tea beverages, fruit jam, powder supplement: increase turbidity
and increase natural appearance
 Gum Arabic
 Emulsifier
 Palm oil

Can plasticizers be used in clouding agents?

No, Phthalate plasticizers can’t be used as food additives and not allowed to be added in food.

Because:

 Plasticizers can be used to reduce cost

 Increase stability

Plasticizers might be abused as clouding agents.

Factors that affect plasticizer migration to food…

 Food contact materials (with PVC).

 Types of food: fatty foods > non-fatty foods
 Contact time: more time, more plasticizer migration
 Contact temperature: high temperature, plasticizer migration increase

How to control it and prevent it?

Key point:

 Plasticizers are used primarily in PVC products

 Migration of plasticizers from PVC materials increases when in contact with fatty or hot
foods.
 Exposure to low level of plasticizer is unavoidable due to their widespread presence as
environmental contaminants.
 MRL: DEHP 1.6 mg/kg 60 kg
 TDI: WHO  DEHP is 0.025 mg/kg body weight per day; DINP 0.15 mg/kg body weight per
day; DBP 0.01 mg/kg body weight per day

Control

 Do not use PVC to hold fatty foods or hot food, use glass, ceramic or stainless-steel
containers instead.
 Phthalate plasticizers can’t be used as food additives and not allowed to be added into
food
 The common food contact doesn’t require to add phthalate plasticizers.

Plasticizers CAN’T be used as food contact materials.

Common Food Contact Materials

 Cling films of polyethylene (PE)

 Other polyolefins

Microplastics  can migrate into environment and affect living thing’s life

Are small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long.

How do they enter intro drinking water?

 Migration of microplastics
o Food contact materials migrate into drinking water
o Bottle

How many microplastics can be found in drinking water?

Aqua (Danone), Aquafina (PepsiCo) …  259 bottles, 11 brands, 9 countries, 93% can be
contaminated by microplastics

 Size of microplastics
 o2 size fractions
 > 100 um: 10.4 microplastic particles / liter
 6.5 – 100 um: 325 microplastic particles / liter
 Contents of microplastics
o Nylon
o Polymeric content

Effects of microplastics on health

 Toxicity:
o Bigger particles  feces
o Smaller particles  organs, cell. Intestine wall  Whole body