Industrial chemical contamination of foods

The chemical contamination of foods via industrial activity is varied and widespread with regard to both chemical and occurrence. Such contamination can arise by accident, by intent from regular ongoing industrial activity, and even from subsequent use of manufactured products themselves. The key factors in assessing whether a problem exists within a particular country are recognition and awareness that a problem can exist and the capability to define the extent and severity of the problem. Both factors are heavily dependent on the availability of well-equipped food control laboratories staffed by dedicated and competent personnel. In some situations the analytical techniques required are 'state of the art' involving sophisticated and expensive separations and determinations with extensive quality control procedures. In others, the techniques are much less complicated. In both, however, the production of valid data is paramount. To illustrate some of these differences in approach, details of ongoing Canadian programmes on polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins and -furans in effluents from pulp and paper mills and on the migration of chemicals from packaging materials are presented.