Chemical Contamination in Food

Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the safety of food and are demanding that more is done to prevent harmful chemicals from entering the food chain.

With the use of legislation, the EU helps to ensure that food placed on the market is safe to eat and does not contain contaminants at hazardous levels. Chemical contamination includes cleaning materials, pesticide residues and perfume, in addition to the undesirable chemicals which can be formed in certain foods during processing, some of which are currently unregulated such as acrylamides.

The experts at Intertek understand that the more we learn about food, the interaction between ingredients, processing procedures and the complexity of processing agents, pesticide chemicals and veterinary residues, the complexity of contamination increases. We therefore provide a comprehensive testing and analysis service to help reduce the risk of chemical contamination during the production process. At our global network of state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, we use the latest methods, including Liquid Chromatography with Mass Ion Detection (LC/MS/MS), which allows for pictogram amounts of chemicals to be detected.

Food manufacturers can also protect themselves and the consumer from chemical contamination through the utilisation of globally recognised practices and processes. Intertek can assist with certifications like Food Safety Systems Certification (FSSC22000), ISO 22000, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) which can help to demonstrate commitment to food safety. Evaluating suppliers through second party auditing and certifications can also help to bring the entire supply chain to a higher level of reliability.