Potential Metal Contamination in Foods of Animal Origin—Food Safety Aspects
This literature review provides an overview of the food safety and toxicological characteristics of various heavy metals and metalloids and the public health significance of their occurrence in food. Metals also occur as natural components of the environment, but they can enter food of animal origin...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Applied Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8468 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849770589382770688 |
|---|---|
| author | József Lehel Dániel Pleva Attila László Nagy Miklós Süth Tibor Kocsner |
| author_facet | József Lehel Dániel Pleva Attila László Nagy Miklós Süth Tibor Kocsner |
| author_sort | József Lehel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This literature review provides an overview of the food safety and toxicological characteristics of various heavy metals and metalloids and the public health significance of their occurrence in food. Metals also occur as natural components of the environment, but they can enter food of animal origin and the human body primarily due to anthropogenic (industrial, agricultural, transport-related) activities. The persistent heavy metals (e.g., Hg, Pb, Cd) found in the environment are not biodegradable, can accumulate, and can enter the bodies of higher animals and subsequently, humans, where they are metabolized into various compounds with differing toxicity. Thus, due to their environmental contamination, they can accumulate in living organisms and their presence in the food chain is of great concern for human health. Regulations of the European Community in force lay down maximum levels for a limited number of metals, and the types of regulated foodstuffs of animal origin are also narrower than in the past, e.g., wild game animals and eggs are not included. The regulation of game meat (including offal) deserves consideration, given that it is in close interaction with the environmental condition of a given area and serves as indicator of it. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-df6d59a35e8a4e1aa72a5441e8b6b5f9 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-df6d59a35e8a4e1aa72a5441e8b6b5f92025-08-20T03:02:56ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-07-011515846810.3390/app15158468Potential Metal Contamination in Foods of Animal Origin—Food Safety AspectsJózsef Lehel0Dániel Pleva1Attila László Nagy2Miklós Süth3Tibor Kocsner4Department of Food Hygiene, Institute of Food Chain Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2., 1078 Budapest, HungaryDepartment of Food Hygiene, Institute of Food Chain Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2., 1078 Budapest, HungaryInstitute of Food Chain Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2., 1078 Budapest, HungaryInstitute of Food Chain Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2., 1078 Budapest, HungaryInstitute of Food Chain Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2., 1078 Budapest, HungaryThis literature review provides an overview of the food safety and toxicological characteristics of various heavy metals and metalloids and the public health significance of their occurrence in food. Metals also occur as natural components of the environment, but they can enter food of animal origin and the human body primarily due to anthropogenic (industrial, agricultural, transport-related) activities. The persistent heavy metals (e.g., Hg, Pb, Cd) found in the environment are not biodegradable, can accumulate, and can enter the bodies of higher animals and subsequently, humans, where they are metabolized into various compounds with differing toxicity. Thus, due to their environmental contamination, they can accumulate in living organisms and their presence in the food chain is of great concern for human health. Regulations of the European Community in force lay down maximum levels for a limited number of metals, and the types of regulated foodstuffs of animal origin are also narrower than in the past, e.g., wild game animals and eggs are not included. The regulation of game meat (including offal) deserves consideration, given that it is in close interaction with the environmental condition of a given area and serves as indicator of it.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8468potential chemical contaminationheavy metalsmetalloidsfood safetyfood toxicologylegal regulation |
| spellingShingle | József Lehel Dániel Pleva Attila László Nagy Miklós Süth Tibor Kocsner Potential Metal Contamination in Foods of Animal Origin—Food Safety Aspects Applied Sciences potential chemical contamination heavy metals metalloids food safety food toxicology legal regulation |
| title | Potential Metal Contamination in Foods of Animal Origin—Food Safety Aspects |
| title_full | Potential Metal Contamination in Foods of Animal Origin—Food Safety Aspects |
| title_fullStr | Potential Metal Contamination in Foods of Animal Origin—Food Safety Aspects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Potential Metal Contamination in Foods of Animal Origin—Food Safety Aspects |
| title_short | Potential Metal Contamination in Foods of Animal Origin—Food Safety Aspects |
| title_sort | potential metal contamination in foods of animal origin food safety aspects |
| topic | potential chemical contamination heavy metals metalloids food safety food toxicology legal regulation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8468 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jozseflehel potentialmetalcontaminationinfoodsofanimaloriginfoodsafetyaspects AT danielpleva potentialmetalcontaminationinfoodsofanimaloriginfoodsafetyaspects AT attilalaszlonagy potentialmetalcontaminationinfoodsofanimaloriginfoodsafetyaspects AT miklossuth potentialmetalcontaminationinfoodsofanimaloriginfoodsafetyaspects AT tiborkocsner potentialmetalcontaminationinfoodsofanimaloriginfoodsafetyaspects |