Preface

It has been suggested that the discovery of fire and the subsequent development of cooking by the ancestors of modern humans assisted the evolution of speech and intelligence, by reducing the need for powerful jaw muscles to chew raw food and by enhancing the bioavailability of nutrients therein. Thermal and other food processing techniques have since enabled the diverse diet of microbiologically safe, palatable food that modern consumers expect. Although food processing provides numerous benefits, there is a growing awareness of the chemical-derived changes that can occur, especially during thermal processing. These changes give rise to a range of chemical contaminants, the consumption of which has been linked to diverse negative health effects. Given the increasing prevalence of processed foods within the modern diet, it is essential that steps are taken to limit consumer exposure to these contaminants through the understanding of their formation and the application of mitigation strategies. This book provides an updated review of food-derived process contaminants, starting with an overview of current European Union regulations that have been established to prevent or minimise consumer exposure (Chapter 1). Subsequent chapters explore the formation and mitigation strategies of well recognised priority contaminants such as acrylamide (Chapters 2 and 3) and the monochloropropanediols, glycidol and their esters (Chapters 4, 5 and 7). Of particular concern are those contaminants that occur in post-processed ingredients and thus foods that are either widely or frequently consumed. Vulnerable members of society such as new-borns, children or those with long-term health conditions may be particularly at risk from these process contaminants and their detrimental effects on wellbeing. Genotoxic contaminants are of particular concern, such as the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and these are addressed in Chapter 6. Although not currently considered to be a priority contaminant and not specifically regulated, the advanced glycation end products (AGEs), are discussed in Chapter 8. The diverse range of health impacts that are beginning to be associated with elevated levels of these AGE compounds and their contribution to increased risk of disease states linked to their consumption are comprehensively reviewed. For these reasons, it is likely that this group of contaminants will attract more interest, potentially as markers of ‘over processed’ foods and will thus be subject to regulation in the future.

This book is designed to provide an introduction to the area of process contaminants and an insight into recent research. It is expected that this will be of interest to students, researchers and regulators, as well as food business operators. The individual authors of each chapter aim to increase understanding of the formation of each of the process-derived contaminants and to highlight current identification and mitigation strategies. The overall aim is to increase awareness of these contaminants and to ensure that the increasing global population can continue to be fed with products of that are of high quality and safe for consumption.

Catherine S. Birch and Graham A. Bonwick