Emerging Chemical Hazards in Animal-Derived Foods: From Public Health to Detection and Control Solutions

Food safety systems are generally effective for known contaminants but are less prepared for chemical hazards that are not captured through routine monitoring. This challenge is particularly relevant for animal-derived foods, where hazardous chemicals may enter and change along the production chain, hindering their detection and interpretation. This review discusses the origins of emerging chemical hazards in animal-derived foods, why they can be overlooked by conventional monitoring, and strategies for integrating detection with public health frameworks. Targeted methods remain essential but are less capable of capturing low-concentration, transformed, or unexpected compounds. When combined with suspect screening and confidence-based identification, high-resolution mass spectrometry can extend detection beyond predefined targets and improve the interpretation of unexpected chemical signals. For public health practice, the value of expanded detection lies not only in identifying more chemicals but also in determining which signals require confirmation, evaluation, and consideration for future monitoring and control.