Chemical substances can play an important role in 

food production and preservation. Food

additives can, for example, prolong the shelf life of foods; others, such as colours, can make food
more attractive. Flavourings are used to make food tastier. Food supplements are used as sources
of nutrition.

Food packaging materials and containers such as bottles, cups and plates, used to improve food
handling and transport, can contain chemical substances such as plastic, elements of which can
migrate into food. Other chemicals can be used to fight diseases in farm animals or crops, or can
sometimes be found in food as a result of a production process such as heating/cooking or
decontamination treatment.

Some plants and fungi naturally produce toxins that can contaminate crops and be a concern for
human and animal health. People can also be exposed to both naturally occurring and man-made
chemical compounds present at various levels in the environment, e.g. in soil, water and the
atmosphere. Examples include industrial pollutants such as dioxins and PCBs. A variety of
metals can be present naturally in the environment or as a result of human activity.

Chemistry has major importance in Food Processing sector. Food chemistry is the study of
chemical processes and interactions between all biological and non-biological components of
foods. It informs us about changes in foods taking place during processing and storage. Also, it
provides techniques and ways either to enhance the changes in food like enhancement of
fermentation by conversion of lactose to lactic acid by microorganisms or to prevent changes in
foods like prevention of browning in apples and pears. The chemical processes that take place
inside food determine its nutritional value, taste, texture and freshness. Like any other organic
material, food can decompose over a period of time. The importance of food chemistry lies in its
ability to counter the effects of decomposition and spoilage and extend the shelf life of foods.
Various household chemicals help in preservation of foods like use of common salt in pickles,
chutney, sauces etc. These increase the osmotic pressure of food and decrease the water activity,
which further prevents the growth of microorganisms in Food. Common methods of food
preservation include salting, cooking, drying, refrigeration, canning, irradiation, dehydration,
wood smoke, use of spices, pickling, fermentation etc. The aim and target of these methods is to
create an unfavorable environment for microbes that causes food spoilage. Other chemical
preservatives like sodium benzoate, calcium propionate, vinegar, citric and sorbic acid are
chemical preservatives that play major role in preservation of fruits and vegetables products like
jam, jellies, marmalades, pickles, chutneys, ketch-ups, non-alcoholic beverages etc. and bakery
products like bread, cakes etc. All of these chemicals either inhibit the activity of
microorganisms or destroy them

Agriculture
Chemical materials developed to assist in the production of food, feed, and fiber include scores
of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and other pesticides, plant growth regulators, fertilizers,
and animal feed supplements. Chief among these groups from the commercial point of view are
manufactured fertilizers, synthetic pesticides (including herbicides), and supplements for feeds.
The latter include both nutritional supplements (for example, mineral nutrients) and medicinal
compounds for the prevention or control of disease.
Agricultural chemistry often aims at preserving or increasing the fertility of soil, maintaining or
improving the agricultural yield, and improving the quality of the crop.
When agriculture is considered with ecology, the sustainability of an operation is considered.
Modern agrochemical industry has gained a reputation for its maximizing profits while violating
sustainable and ecologically viable agricultural principles. Eutrophication, the prevalence
of genetically modified crops and the increasing concentration of chemicals in the food chain
(e.g. persistent organic pollutants) are only a few consequences of naive industrial agriculture.

Many agrochemicals are highly dangerous to humans and animals in their concentrated forms.
For example, ammonia in low concentrations is generally harmless to humans, but high
concentrations of the gaseous fertilizer anhydrous ammonia can drift over long distances and
prove fatal to human. These fertilizer are often regulated by federal and state entities in their
usage and storage, requiring specialized equipment and training. Furthermore, trace amounts of
various agrochemicals have been found in the urine samples of children who eat produce grown
with these chemicals. Switching these childrens' diets to produce grown without agrochemicals
mitigated these levels. It should be noted that the impact these chemicals have on health and
development is not entirely clear.

or most people, additives are not a problem in the short term. However, 50 of the 400
currently approved additives in Australia have been associated with adverse reactions
in some people. Some food additives are more likely than others to cause reactions in
sensitive people.

It is often the additives that are used to give a food a marketable quality, such as colour,
that most commonly cause allergic reactions. Some of these hypersensitive reactions
include:

 Digestive disorders – diarrhoea and colicky pains

 Nervous disorders – hyperactivity, insomnia and irritability
 Respiratory problems – asthma, rhinitis and sinusitis
 Skin problems – hives, itching, rashes and swelling.

It is important to realise that many of the symptoms experienced as a result of food

sensitivities can be caused by other disorders. Medical diagnosis is important. If you try
to diagnose yourself, you may restrict your diet unnecessarily and neglect an illness.