Chemical food safety
About this expertise
In short- Analyses of chemical substances
- Development of analytical methods
- Mapping trends
- Understanding diffusion
- Advising government
The safety of our food and feed is partly determined by the (unwanted) presence of chemical substances such as pesticides, drugs, natural toxins and organic contaminants such as PFAS. Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR) contributes to chemical food safety by developing methods and performing analyses to detect these substances.
About the expertise
Chemical contaminants in food include:
- Environmental contaminants: substances that occur in the environment, for example through discharge, such as PFAS , dioxins and heavy metals.
- Process contaminants: substances created during the food processing process, e.g. by heating.
- Residues: substances that are deliberately applied in the food production chain, such as pesticides and antibiotics, and remain in the food.
- Natural toxins: toxic substances produced by plants, fungi and aquatic organisms, for example.
- Radionuclides: substances that emit radioactive radiation.
All these substances can enter food in different ways: through cultivation, during processing or through environmental influences. Besides analyzing the presence of chemicals in individual products, we also map trends and patterns and collect data on chemical contaminants. This gives us better insight into the spread of substances and enables timely intervention. In doing so, we cooperate with the NVWA, RIVM and EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), among others.
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Do you have a question about chemical food safety? Get in touch!
dr. A (Arjen) Gerssen
Program Manager Food Safety Enforcement