Contaminants in food: Health risks of natural origin are frequently underestimated
These are the findings of a representative study recently conducted by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) on the risk perception of contaminants in food that was published in the public health journal B undesgesundheitsblatt -- Gesundheitsforschung -- Gesundheitsschutz . "People feel most at risk from synthetic substances and heavy metals," says BfR President Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel. "Appropriate risk communication on contaminants should take this subjective risk perception into account." Contaminants are undesirable substances that unintentionally find their way into food products. They can occur naturally in the environment and in the processing of raw materials into food products or can be released into the environment through human activity and thereby enter the food chain. Contaminants are undesirable because they can impair health under certain circumstances. 1,001 people were asked about contaminants in food in the represent...