Interaction between food and the environment: The impact of environmental contaminants on food and food safety, the impact of food chemicals on the environment – A review

The food safety and environmental pollution are interlinked and considered to be important issues in today’s world. The environment does more than just produce food for people; it is also a source of income and a buffer against a variety of biophysical and social or economic shocks. The normative goals of a food systems framework for global environmental change are food security and sustainable environmental management. Food contamination refers the occurrence of toxic chemicals and microbial pathogens which could produce negative health implications to the humans. Plants grown in polluted environments can be a vehicle for contaminants to be introduced into the food chain. Therefore, food safety and toxicology is of great concern on the global terms, and organizations such as the European Chemical Agency came with strategies to protect human health by heavily regulation the use of chemicals. The present paper reviews the effects of food chemicals and processing on the environment as well as the effects of environmental contaminants and pollutants on food safety. Attempt is also made in reviewing the nexus between climate change and food systems.

Keywords:

Environment , Food safety , Food system , climate change , contaminants