Human health risk assessment of processing-related compounds in food

Many types of food processing techniques have been employed throughout human history, mainly to ensure microbiological and chemical safety of foods and to improve palatability. Growing consumer demand for healthy, nutritious and convenient food is a key driver for improvements and new developments in food processing. New processes or newly recognized compounds, often identified due to improved analytical capabilities, require careful evaluation of potential human health impact. As examples for processing-related contaminants, the risk assessments for 3-monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD) and acrylamide are discussed, exemplifying two traditional approaches in food safety assessment. 3-MCPD is formed in a variety of industrially and domestically produced foods in the presence of fat and chloride. 3-MCPD is considered a non-genotoxic carcinogen, hence a threshold of effect is assumed and sufficient data are available to establish a safe level of intake. The recent discovery of the formation of acrylamide in certain high heat-treated foods, domestically or industrially, has raised considerable concern, since acrylamide, besides neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity, is considered as genotoxic carcinogen. Unavoidable substances considered to be genotoxic carcinogens are unwanted in foods and are usually dealt with via the ALARA principle. However, for such unavoidable substances, a quantitative risk assessment may give more useful advice to risk managers for appropriate actions. Currently, adequate dose-response relationships and mechanistic information regarding carcinogenicity of acrylamide are lacking. Once this information becomes available, the health risk from acrylamide exposure through food can be assessed.