VPT 421: Veterinary Toxicology (2+0)

INTRODUCTION

• Chemicals are added to food for a number of reasons
• as preservatives with antibacterial, antifungal or antioxidant properties
• to change physical characteristics, particularly for processing
• to change taste
• to change colour and
• to change odour
• Substances intentionally added to food, ‘food additives’, has been common for centuries. Salt has been used as a preservative for years.
• The use of food additives on such a wide scale is now beginning to be questioned by some toxicologists especially as the long-term effects of the substances in question are often not known.
• Food additives have to be tested for toxicity before they can be used and before humans are exposed to them.
• Although the quantities of food additives consumed by humans are very small, their consumption may occur over a lifetime and is chronic although it may be sporadic rather than continuous.