Food Toxicity

Food Toxicity

Food toxicity is their ability to cause damage to health, they can be foods of natural or artificial origin. All the chemicals that are added in the production processes can be toxic depending on the quantities in which they are presented. Food consumption is subject to a regulation approved by the World Health Organization, these proposals are adopted by the associated nations according to their quality standards . The proposal is defined as: any food that is available for human consumption must be approved and verified so that no natural substance that it contains or is added to it, at some point in its elaboration This out of the rule.

Toxicity in seafood.

Molluscs and bivalves are animals that filter the sea water to live, if this water is contaminated the toxins present will remain in the animal and will pass to the consumer when it feeds on them. Toxins are classified depending on the effects they produce on people's health, such as: diarrhea, reddening of the skin, respiratory failure and even death in cases where they have not received medical assistance in time. Balloon fish are also animals of care, because they carry a toxin that affects the nervous system of the body, there are countries in which their intake is prohibited.

Canned foods can present several ways of producing harmful effects on health. The product is expired, so it is important to verify the expiration date, another expiration sample is that it has a bulge or deformation. The Clostridium bacterium that causes Botulism when subjected to a hostile environment generates a toxin that despite being subjected to high temperatures is not destroyed and affects the consumer of canning.

There are people who are lactose intolerant and who can get sick at high speed if they consume it frequently. An ordinary person can also be affected because the pasteurization process does not eliminate all bacteria and the product is not refrigerated. When it is not at low temperature, bacteria and oxidation proliferate. Dairy is considered a 100% toxic food.

Toxicity in processed foods.

Foods that have large amounts of preservatives, dyes, antioxidants can cause stomach problems, in addition to generating allergies to people sensitive to the components. A consumption followed by these substances increases the degree of toxicity in the body.

Toxicity in starchy foods.

Acrylamine is a toxin that is generated in starchy foods, when potatoes and cereals are cooked at high temperatures when baked, fried or grilled. They are usually consumed at meals as fries or roasts. Acrylamine can occur in foods preserved in plastics. That is why it is important not to have these foods in the daily diet.

Food contamination can occur at home and fast food sales can originate in the following ways:

1. Physical pollution.

When a solid element such as remains of other food, garbage, hair, plastic fall into the food.

2. Chemical contamination.

When agents such as disinfectants, fertilizers and herbicides come into contact with food and when they are cooked they are not washed properly . It has contact with smoke emissions from cigarettes and vehicles.

3. Biological contamination.

When a food is not refrigerated the oxidation and proliferation of microorganisms can turn it into something toxic. It can be contaminated by coming into contact with animals such as flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, ants, among others . Presence of faeces in meats due to poor handling and not having adequate sanitary measures, in addition to containing trans fats.

The toxicity of the food will then depend on the person who consumes it, the amounts and frequencies with which they are ingested. Everything in excess is harmful, we must develop a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Do not go out to eat in places where sanitary measures are compromised, likewise avoid the proliferation of pests, do not consume raw food and those that have been in contact with the environment for a long time.

AUTHOR: Antonio, editor of the great family of hermandadblanca.org