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Food can be defined as the nutritive material taken into an organism for growth, work, or repair and for maintaining the vital processes. Food sustains life, and, as such, many individuals view food as an uncomplicated, pure source of nutrition. Therefore, such individuals are often bewildered to learn that food is comprised of an array of natural chemicals, and not all the chemicals are nutrients or enhance nutritive value, but in fact may decrease nutritional value or, worse still, are toxic (e.g., naturally occurring toxicants). Also, chemicals can be added to food, either intentionally or unintentionally, during production and processing. Cooking, storing, and preparing food in our kitchens create new components and different chemical compounds, which may have a toxic effect, an improvement or enhancement effect, or no effect at all on the meal quality.
Food and nutritional toxicology is the field devoted to studying the complexity of the chemicals in food, particularly those that have the potential of producing adverse health effects. The field includes studies of human health impacts of food containing environmental contaminants or natural toxicants. The field includes investigations of food additives, migration of chemicals from packaging materials into foods, and persistence of feed and food contaminants in food products. Also, the field covers examining the impact of contaminants on nutrient utilization, adverse effects of nutrient excesses, metabolism of food toxicants, and the relationship of the body’s biological defense mechanisms to such toxicants. Finally, because the study of food and nutritional toxicology has obvious societal implication, one must examine the risk determination process, how food is regulated to ensure safety, and the current status of regulatory processes.
Food and nutritional toxicology is the field devoted to studying the complexity of the chemicals in food, particularly those that have the potential of producing adverse health effects.
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