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Chemicals: nutrients, additives, toxins, agricultural compounds and contaminants in food
Everything is made from chemicals, including food. We eat food to get the chemicals we need to grow and stay healthy. Food may also contain other chemicals. These include additives, toxins, contaminants and agricultural compounds. Some of these occur naturally in the food and others are added. At high enough concentrations, some of these can cause illness.
For most foods, we monitor and control the presence of any harmful chemicals (natural and added). For those that are not controllable, we provide recommendations for food intake and management.
Chemicals in food – how they are managed and monitored
Chemicals used in the production of food are known as agricultural compounds. They include remedies and medicines used on food producing animals, such as drenches; and chemicals used in the production of plant based foods, such as fertilisers and pesticides.
Legislation defines the amount of agricultural compound residue allowed in food. We administer this legislation. Our role includes:
• registering agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines
• monitoring their importation, manufacture, sale and use.
Agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines – what they are, how and why they are used
Agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines – residue monitoring programmes
Legislation for agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines
Total Diet Survey – amounts of chemicals and contaminants in the NZ diet
Specific chemicals found in food
Use the links below to find out about three specific groups of chemicals that can be found in food – heavy metals, hormonal growth promotants and antibiotics.
Heavy metals – the risks and how they are managed
Hormonal growth promotants – used to enhance meat production (growth) in livestock
Antibiotic resistance – the use of antibiotics in animals and its impact on antibiotic resistance in humans
Nutrients in food – naturally occurring and added forms
Nutrients are water, fats, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and trace elements found naturally in food. These are necessary for maintaining life, bone and tissue growth and repair, and keeping you in good health. Nutrient deficiencies and/or excess can lead to abnormal growth and development, serious medical conditions, and poor health.
Nutrients are permitted to be added to some foods:
• to reduce the risk of nutrient deficiencies in some groups of people which may be caused by low intakes of a particular nutrient
• where research supports an increased level of a nutrient for a specific health benefit
• to make those foods that are considered to be substitutes for a primary food similar in nutritional content
• to add back those nutrients that may have been lost through processing
• to improve the shelf life of a product.
Specific nutrients in food
Use the links below to find out about some nutrients that are found naturally in food or are added to manufactured foods.
Iodine – overcoming a lack of iodine in our diet
Folate and folic acid - for healthy growth and development of blood cells and nerve tissue
Trans fatty acids - current intakes and health implications
Additives in food – what they are and why they are used
Additives are used in foods for a number of reasons, including:
1. preserving the food to make it safer for longer on the shelf or in the fridge
2. improve the taste or appearance, for example, by the use of flavours, thickeners and colours.
The Food Standards Code (this is the joint food law between Australia and New Zealand) says which additives can be used and in what foods.
Food additives – find out about the additives used in our food
Food additives – the list of additives allowed in New Zealand
Specific additives used in food
Use the links below to find out about some of the specific additives used in food.
Aspartame – a sweetener for foods and drinks
Mono-sodium glutamate (MSG) – brings out the flavour in food
Preservatives – added to food to extend its shelf life
Synthetic colours – used in highly coloured foods
Hemp seed oil – regulations governing its use and sale in New Zealand
Natural toxins – harmful poisons in our food
Natural toxins are chemicals that occur naturally in food. Some commonly eaten foods contain natural toxins.
Natural toxins in commonly eaten foods
Mycotoxins – toxins growing on grain, feed, or food in the field or in storage [PDF: 12K, 2 pages]
Naturally occurring food contaminants – what they are and how you can avoid them
Natural contaminants are chemicals present in the environment that are either part of a food’s natural growing conditions or are unable to be controlled by intervention.
Natural contaminants could also be bacteria or viruses. For example, sewerage may contain Norovirus that can contaminate shellfish growing areas and cause foodborne illness if these shellfish are eaten raw or insufficiently cooked.
Foods likely to contain contaminants usually have special recommendations for how much you should eat or particular storage or handling requirements. One example is mercury in fish.
Mercury – present in most seafood and of greatest concern for pregnant women
Acrylamide – by-product of the cooking process
Arsenic – present in seafood and plants from our soil, water, air, fertilisers and other chemicals
Arsenic in hijiki seaweed – adds to people’s risk of cancer if regularly consumed
Phytoestrogens – safety for young children who drink soy based infant formula
Other contaminants found in our food
These contaminant substances (from both natural and man made sources) have been found in some foods.
Bisphenol A – low levels in plastic baby bottles are safe
Chemicals from plastic packaging and wrap – low levels not a health risk
Dioxins – by-products from industrial and thermal processes
Semicarbazide – low levels found in some glass jar seals
Sudan 1 – cancer causing, non-food red dye found in some chilli powder
Lead – levels in some cornflour led to a recall in 2004
Plastic drink bottles – no risk from chemicals leaching into the water
Benzene – present in some flavoured drinks
Toxic residues present in wild animals
Residues of some toxic substances can be found in wild animals can may cause harm. If you gather your own food from the wild you need to be aware of the risks from toxic residues. The toxic residues may have arisen from man made chemical or microbiological hazards placed in the wild animal’s environment.
1080 pesticide used for possum control in forests and bush areas
Toxic residues can make meat from some wild animals unsafe
Restricted places for hunting to manage the risk of contamination with poison residues
Related links
Regulation of food in New Zealand – legislation and regulations
Food labels – what a label must show
Recent recalls of unsafe food products
Importing food into New Zealand – for personal consumption
New Zealand Food Safety Authority
68-86 Jervois Quay
PO Box 2835
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 2500
Fax: +64 4 894 2501
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