ABSTRACT
Since the Second World War the consumer behaviour in developed countries changed drastically. Primarily there existed the demand for sufficient food after a period of starvation, afterwards the desire for higher quality was arising, whereas today most people ask for safe and healthy food with high quality. Therefore a united approach comprising consistent standards, sound science and robust controls is required to ensure consumers' health and to maintain consumers' confidence and satisfaction. Chemical analysis along the whole food chain downstream (tracking) from primary production to the consumer and upstream (tracing) from the consumer to primary production is an important prerequisite to ensure food safety and quality. In this frame the focus of the following paper is the "chemical safety of meat and meat products" taking into account inorganic as well as organic residues and contaminants, the use of nitrite in meat products, the incidence of veterinary drugs, as well as a Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) system assessing (prioritizing) vulnerable food chain steps to decrease or eliminate vulnerability.
Subject(s)
Food Contamination , Health Priorities/trends , Meat Products/adverse effects , Meat Products/analysis , Meat/adverse effects , Meat/analysis , Risk Assessment/methods , Animals , Consumer Behavior , Drug Residues/analysis , Drug Residues/standards , Environmental Pollutants/analysis , Food Contamination/economics , Food Contamination/prevention & control , Health Promotion , Humans , Internationality , Meat/economics , Meat/standards , Meat Products/economics , Meat Products/standards , Nitrates/analysis , Nitrates/standards , Nitrites/analysis , Nitrites/standards , Pesticide Residues/analysis , Pesticide Residues/standards , Quality Control , Veterinary Drugs/analysis , Veterinary Drugs/metabolismABSTRACT
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), dibenzofurans (PCDF) selected chlorinated pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and some volatile organic compounds (VOC) were analysed in the exhaust fumes of candles made from different waxes and finishing materials. To guarantee defined burning conditions a chamber was developed for the sampling of the exhaust fumes. Using a simple exposure model, the inhalative uptake of PCDD/PCDF by an adult person was calculated for different scenarios. It was shown that additional uptake of PCDD/PCDF caused by candle emissions does not contribute significantly to the total daily intake of these compounds. Emissions of PCDD/PCDF, benzo(a)pyrene and the VOC were then compared to limit value for working places. Even when many candles would be burnt at the same time in a small room, concentrations of the compounds investigated stay below 1% of the tolerable limit values.
