Assessment of substance risks in foods

Foods are complex mixtures of nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals) and many natural accompanying substances. In addition, they can also contain low amounts of other substances which reach the foods unintentionally as contaminations and/or occur at the production, storage and preparation of foods. On the other hand, certain substances, such as additives or aroma substances, are added to foods intentionally during production. Such substances, including the natural ingredients of foods, can become a health risk for consumers under certain circumstances. For that reason additives and aroma substances must undergo a health assessment and be approved prior to their use in foods.

BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment assesses substance risks for:

• Food ingredients, e.g. ingredients of plants and nutrients such as fats, vitamins and minerals which are relevant for health
• Food additives, e.g. colorants and preservatives as well as processing auxiliaries
• Aroma substances
• Residues of pesticides and veterinary medicinal products
• Contaminants, i.e. contaminations which can either reach the foods from the environment (such as heavy metals, dioxins) or are formed by microorganisms (such as moulds, algae) on or in the food and migrate into it (e.g. mould toxins (mycotoxins), marine biotoxins (phycotoxins).
• Substances caused by processing, e.g. during the heating of foods

Substance risks must be distinguished from microbial risks, which are triggered by bacteria, viruses or fungi.

The basis for the health assessment of these substances in foods by BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment is the current international scientific state of knowledge. Since the latter is permanently developing, the appraisal of the health risk involved in a substance is always a dynamic process.

Plant-based foods (e.g. fruit and vegetables) make up a significant part of the human diet. However, humans only utilise certain parts of most plants for consumption. The potato tuber, for example, is one of our staple foods, while the fruit of the potato plant is inedible and even poisonous.

In addition to vitamins, minerals and fibre, plants produce secondary plant substances that serve as protection against herbivores, attract pollinating insects or protect against UV light, for example. Secondary plant substances include, for example, polyphenols (such as flavonoids and anthocyanins), carotenoids and alkaloids.

These substances are generally not harmful to humans in the quantities found in common foods. Due to their positive effects on human health, there is an increasing number of products on the market in which secondary plant substances are enriched. Plant extracts are often produced for this purpose, which are added to foods (fortified foods) or offered in the form of food supplements. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment assesses whether this can result in health risks. For example, some secondary plant substances are toxic to the human body even in small quantities (e.g. the alkaloids nicotine and morphine) and should therefore not be consumed.