A new global scientific tool for the assessment and prioritization of chemical hazards in food raw materials

Unveiling toxicity profile for food risk components: A manually curated toxicological databank of food-relevant chemicals

Rigorous risk assessment of chemicals in food and feed is essential to address the growing worldwide concerns about food safety. High-quality toxicological data on food-relevant chemicals are fundamental for risk modeling and assessment in the food safety area. The organization and analysis of substantial toxicity information can positively support decision-making by providing insight into toxicity trends. However, it remains challenging to systematically obtain fragmented toxicity data, and related toxicological resources are required to meet the current demands. In this study, we collected 221,439 experimental toxicity records for 5,657 food-relevant chemicals identified from extensive databases and literature, along with their information on chemical identification, physicochemical properties, environmental fates, and biological targets. Based on the aggregated data, a freely available web-based databank, Food-Relevant Available Chemicals Toxicology Databank (FRAC-TD) is presented, which supports multiple browsing ways and search criterions. Applying FRAC-TD for data-driven analysis, we revealed the underlying toxicity profiles of food-relevant chemicals in humans, mammals, and other species in the food chain. Expectantly, FRAC-TD could positively facilitate toxicological studies, toxicity prediction, and risk assessments in the food industry.

Implementation of food safety management systems that meets ISO 22000:2018 and HACCP: A case study of capsule biotechnology products of chaga mushroom

In our study, a food safety management system was developed for a chaga mushroom biotechnology product manufacturer, with the purpose of meeting the quality demands of customers and enhancing the manufacturer's reputation. The study focused on identifying the potentially significant hazards present at each stage of the production process for chaga mushroom capsule products, and on ensuring that the biotechnology company in question has fully implemented ISO22000:2018 and the HACCP methodology. The results indicate that, in the 1 year following the implementation of ISO 22000:2018, there was a statistically significant drop (P < 0.05) in the coliforms level of the tested biotechnology product samples that started in the ninth month following implementation. The rapid screening of mycotoxin, heavy metal, and pesticide residue levels also increased monitoring intensity and strengthened the periodic rotation plan, enabling control over potential problems relating to raw materials and ensuring product quality. This finding reveals the importance and necessity of rapid screening for small- and medium-sized food industry enterprises. Furthermore, 1 year after the system's implementation, the defect rate for chaga products was also observed to have declined, and the number of process flow anomalies requiring correction was also found to have decreased significantly (P < 0.05), indicating that safety and quality levels were improving and stabilizing. If implemented over a longer period of time, the food safety management system's benefits would stand out even more, and significant improvements would be observed for more monitored items. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Few studies have touched on food safety management systems (FSMSs) developed for capsule health food products. The enterprise examined in this study had actively worked to improve its quality system and meet its customers' needs through the implementation of the FSMSs.

Development and application of a comparative risk assessment method for ranking chemical hazards in food

The aim of this study was to develop a comparative risk assessment method to prioritise the public health risks posed by chemical hazards in food. Through a literature review, and in light of expert opinions, a bottom-up, semi-quantitative scoring method was applied to screen the ranking metrics and assign a score. In addition, a metrics system and a ranking model were constructed. The fuzzy comprehensive analysis model was used to assess typical chemical hazards in a specific food, as well as to rank risks in many foods. Data were collected from the National Food Surveillance System in China, the Food Consumption of Chinese Residents Database, government reports, public websites and databases of authoritative organisations. The comparative risk assessment method was applied to case studies on ranking chemical hazards in different kinds of food. According to application testing, the method truly reflects the overall risk and ranking of chemical hazards in food.