Interest has increased recently in the possible human carcinogenic effects of plant metabolites in the diet. Some psoralens, some pyrrolizidine alkaloids and 'bracken carcinogen' may be dietary carcinogens, the latter two via contamination of food products from animals ingesting toxic plants. With the exception of 'bracken carcinogen', the structures of these compounds have been established. Further research to quantify the levels of these compounds in foodstuffs and to correlate these with the amounts of the compounds having toxic effects in laboratory animals would be valuable. Epidemiological studies on critical-intake consumer groups would also be of value in defining the hazard, if any, the presence of these compounds in the diet poses to the consumer.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Surveillance of potentially hazardous chemicals in food in the United Kingdom.

Surveillance of chemical contaminants in food plays an important role in helping to ensure a safe food supply in those countries that undertake it. This paper reviews the methods used in the UK as a means of highlighting the essential elements required by any food chemical surveillance programme. The following topics have been covered: quantifying food consumption, setting priorities in food surveillance, developing a common approach to the surveillance of different chemicals in the food supply (including the use of Total and Duplicate Diet Studies), estimating human intakes of chemicals from the diet, developing suitably sensitive and reliable methods of analysis, obtaining representative samples, and assessing and managing risk.

Diet Records↗

PubMedDate not supplied