It must be remembered that human activity is steadily leading to pollution of its habitat, from which we get food, hence the need to understand the diversity of food contaminants and avoid their release into the environment. Harmful substances of food can be conventionally divided into two groups. The first group - this is actually the natural components of food (specific to that particular type of vegetable or animal origin), which under normal or excessive use may cause adverse reactions. She is represented by a large list of biologically active and toxic elements, which in turn are divided into groups that differ in structure and mechanism of action. These include: antivitamin, alkaloids, substances which suppress mineral absorption, alcohol, cyanogenic glycosides, etc. These are substances on the adverse effects are known, usually in advance (for example, that you can not eat green potatoes, because it contains solanine). The second group represented substances not peculiar to food getting into the food from the environment. As a rule, are chemicals that are made specifically for food in order to achieve the technological effect of food contaminants or chemical or biological nature. Contaminants of food falling from the environment, pose the greatest danger to health, especially when it comes to children. In turn, the true food contaminant substances are divided into natural (biological) and chemical origin. Biological contaminants of food products:
* Bacterial toxins;
* Botulinum toxins;
* Mycotoxins (toxins microscopic fungi);
* Toxins are unicellular and multicellular algae.
Chemical contaminants of food products:
* Metals, these include mercury, lead, chromium, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, tin, nickel;
* Pesticides and products of their metabolism: organic insecticides, methyl bromide, etc;
* Nitrates, nitrites, polycyclic aromatic compounds, growth stimulators of farm animals and etc;
* Radioisotopes (izotop1 any element that emits radioactive radiation during its transformation into another element). The main route of food contamination with radioisotopes is the soil, where they absorb the plant, and then they are the products of vegetable origin into human beings. The greatest danger to health are strontium 90 and cesium 137.
The degree of contamination of food products depends on the degree of pollution. Foreign substances that enter into it as a result of human activity, accumulate in the soil, air, water, and, hence, moving along the chain, will inevitably enter the body and cause health disorders. In terms of distribution and toxicity of the most dangerous pollutants of food are heavy metals, pesticides and their metabolic products, radionuclides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrates, nitrites.
Food safety on the content of chemicals and contaminants, veterinary drugs and medicines, as well as microbiological and radiation to be determined by their conformity to hygienic standards set by government technical regulations and scrutiny by government agencies at all levels. So the purchase of products in shops and public markets is a kind of guarantee of their safety.
Nitrates and nitrites
In agriculture, as a highly effective fertilizer widely used nitrates - nitrates, sodium, potassium, ammonium and calcium. The process of making nitrates in the soil is accompanied by the accumulation of these compounds in plant tissues. Nitrates are slightly toxic, but they are precursors of N-nitroso compounds with carcinogenic activity, that is predisposed to the development of cancer. In cereal crops and vegetables in high humidity conditions, as well as in the gastrointestinal tract with the participation of microflora recovered nitrates into nitrites (nitrates). When a nitrite in the blood to form methemoglobin, which in contrast to the hemoglobin can not carry oxygen. When the concentration of methemoglobin in the blood of about 15% (mild degree of intoxication), there lethargy, drowsiness. Symptoms of poisoning appear within 1-6 hours after the nitrogen in the body. Acute poisoning begins with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, there is an increase, and pain on palpation of the liver, lowering blood pressure. Pulse with irregular, weak, cold extremities, breathing quickens, headache, tinnitus, weakness, spasms of facial muscles, poor coordination of movements, loss of consciousness, coma. Sodium nitrite are widely used as a preservative in food when cooking sausages, canned meat, ie, "Adult products", and not used in the production of baby food. Avoid poisoning by nitrates in our power. It is possible to reduce the concentration of harmful substances by heat treatment, do not use canned food. There are agricultural pollutants, which are intact in the environment, accumulate in plants, meat and fat of animals, and in the same unaltered enter the body, causing irreparable injury. Moreover, all these substances, unfortunately, able to penetrate into breast milk, so that children are not immune from intoxication.
Fighting with nitrates
The bulk of the nitrate enters the plant through the root system and moves to the leaves. High ability to accumulate nitrates differ spinach, lettuce, beets, radishes, radishes, parsley, celery, fennel, rhubarb, melon plants. Especially high concentrations of nitrate in cabbage - in the stalk and veins of leaves, cucumber, sorrel, fennel - in the petiole (tail), with carrots, radishes - in the bottom of the root. Nitrate is reduced during the cleaning, soaking, boiling. When cleaning of the plant are separated and thrown away most of the nitrate. The remaining parts of the plants soaked in water, thereby reducing the concentration of nitrates is 25%. Soak it is: peeled streaks leaves soaked in water for 1-2 hours, then drain the water and pour a new, steeping for about 1-2 hours, in the third water can leave them on overnight. Unfortunately, maceration effective only for leafy vegetables: cabbage, sorrel, parsley. More efficient hot water extract (decoction), derives up to 85% of nitrate from vegetables, including root vegetables (carrots, beets). The broth should pour hot as during cooling of the nitrates from the broth returns to the root.
Pesticides
To serious health problems resulting from entering into food agricultural pesticides, which include pesticides. They are widely used in agriculture to protect plants from diseases, weeds, pests, which increases the risk of falling into their residues in food and to adverse effects on the human body. Pesticides differ in their chemical structure (organochlorine, phosphorus-organic, rtutorganicheskih, etc.). Application of some of them banned. But despite this, described many cases of poisoning by various pesticides through contaminated food - flour, sugar and nuts. The clinical picture of pesticide poisoning are nonspecific: it includes dizziness, headache, fatigue, appetite loss and sleep. Typically, chronic pesticide poisoning occur protracted chronic nonspecific diseases may occur by the type of gastritis (inflammation of the gastric mucosa), hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchi). Developing an allergic reaction to this background exacerbate the disease and complicate diagnosis. Insure the receipt of pesticides in the body can be only one way - do not buy food at the "natural markets".
Wash pesticides?
It is known that fruits, berries and leafy vegetables washed free from pesticides under running water for about 60%. Also effective is the removal of pesticides by mechanically removing the skin, skins, shells, leaves. The maximum exemption from pesticide residues citrus, apples, pears, bananas, peaches, melons achieved by removing their skin. Milling and blanching as well as any thermal processing (roasting, steaming, stewing) contributing to the reduction of pesticide products in the 3-fold.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
These include benzpyrene, 20-methylcholanthrene, etc. They have a carcinogenic effect when entering the body, even in small doses (milligrams or micrograms). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are found in many foods (vegetables, fruits, smoked meat, grilled meat products), as well as their sources are the technological and cooking - smoking, especially in home conditions and factors of pollution - exhaust gases of internal combustion , industrial effluents, various types of packaging material (some cellophane and tin packing), soot and so on. Therefore, from the children's diet should be deleted smoked products.
Polychlorinated biphenyls
This high-chlorinated compounds that enter the environment from industrial waste and chemical plants capable of accumulating in fatty tissues of animals and, hence, fat-containing foods. The use of these products leads to acute poisoning, initial manifestations of which may be fever, vomiting, diarrhea.
Dioxins
Dioxins are among the most hazardous environmental pollutants and food products. They are the byproducts of the production of plastics, pesticides, paper. Dioxins are carcinogenic, immunotoxic, very stable in the environment, therefore, fall into the animal feed, accumulate in their fatty tissues, milk and end up in fat-containing products - oils, fats, meat and milk. Particularly heavily contaminated with dioxins seafood, because they are biological filters habitat, is passed through a contaminated water. Common symptoms of prolonged exposure to dioxins are a wide variety of skin manifestations and neurological disorders, disorders of the reproductive function. There may be such symptoms - persistent heterogeneous rashes, disorders of the nervous conduction, the cause of which is very difficult to establish.
Heavy metals
Heavy metals are widespread in living nature, and constantly found in food. Most heavy metals are essential nutrients, and potentially dangerous to health, ie toxic include cadmium, mercury, lead and tin. For all food products set the maximum allowable quantities of heavy metals, and the relevant authorities monitor compliance with regulations. The presence of each metal in food is monitored by chemical analysis, and in the human body - of maximum allowable concentrations. Contamination of food with heavy metals is due to industrial emissions and urban transport. Regular use of products with a high content of heavy metals will inevitably lead to a breach of many body systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, excretory, etc.), but for most heavy metals are no "specific" symptoms of poisoning and the destruction of the body, making it difficult to identify the reasons disease, and hence its treatment. Due to the processing of food raw materials - a thorough washing, cleaning products, separation of low-value parts can be removed from 20 to 40% of heavy metals. Poisoning by toxic heavy metals - mercury, lead, tin, as a rule, possible only in a hazardous industry.
Auxesis animals
First of all, these include hormones and antibiotics. In agriculture, for the rapid growth of muscle tissue of animals used, as a rule, anabolic hormones, allowing for regular use to increase muscle (food) a lot of animals. Along with hormones to grow fleshy and healthy cattle are widely used antibiotics. It is known that some portion of antibiotics are not excreted. The animals also partially antibiotic remains in meat, milk. When using this product increases the risk of allergic reactions, violations of local immunity, changes in intestinal microflora. In the baby food is forbidden to use drugs themselves and the products grown with their help. It should be noted that heavy metals and animal growth promoters are quite harmful, but controlled by the concentration in food substances. All the raw materials used for the production of baby foods, corresponds to the "hygienic safety and nutritional value of food" and approved by the state monitoring of food products for use in the production of baby foods, and finished products conform to requirements and offered for sale only after the conduct of clinical trials . Consequently, baby food can and should be widely used in children's food without fearing for their quality and safety, as they have been rigorously tested.
* Bacterial toxins;
* Botulinum toxins;
* Mycotoxins (toxins microscopic fungi);
* Toxins are unicellular and multicellular algae.
Chemical contaminants of food products:
* Metals, these include mercury, lead, chromium, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, tin, nickel;
* Pesticides and products of their metabolism: organic insecticides, methyl bromide, etc;
* Nitrates, nitrites, polycyclic aromatic compounds, growth stimulators of farm animals and etc;
* Radioisotopes (izotop1 any element that emits radioactive radiation during its transformation into another element). The main route of food contamination with radioisotopes is the soil, where they absorb the plant, and then they are the products of vegetable origin into human beings. The greatest danger to health are strontium 90 and cesium 137.
The degree of contamination of food products depends on the degree of pollution. Foreign substances that enter into it as a result of human activity, accumulate in the soil, air, water, and, hence, moving along the chain, will inevitably enter the body and cause health disorders. In terms of distribution and toxicity of the most dangerous pollutants of food are heavy metals, pesticides and their metabolic products, radionuclides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrates, nitrites.
Food safety on the content of chemicals and contaminants, veterinary drugs and medicines, as well as microbiological and radiation to be determined by their conformity to hygienic standards set by government technical regulations and scrutiny by government agencies at all levels. So the purchase of products in shops and public markets is a kind of guarantee of their safety.
Nitrates and nitrites
In agriculture, as a highly effective fertilizer widely used nitrates - nitrates, sodium, potassium, ammonium and calcium. The process of making nitrates in the soil is accompanied by the accumulation of these compounds in plant tissues. Nitrates are slightly toxic, but they are precursors of N-nitroso compounds with carcinogenic activity, that is predisposed to the development of cancer. In cereal crops and vegetables in high humidity conditions, as well as in the gastrointestinal tract with the participation of microflora recovered nitrates into nitrites (nitrates). When a nitrite in the blood to form methemoglobin, which in contrast to the hemoglobin can not carry oxygen. When the concentration of methemoglobin in the blood of about 15% (mild degree of intoxication), there lethargy, drowsiness. Symptoms of poisoning appear within 1-6 hours after the nitrogen in the body. Acute poisoning begins with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, there is an increase, and pain on palpation of the liver, lowering blood pressure. Pulse with irregular, weak, cold extremities, breathing quickens, headache, tinnitus, weakness, spasms of facial muscles, poor coordination of movements, loss of consciousness, coma. Sodium nitrite are widely used as a preservative in food when cooking sausages, canned meat, ie, "Adult products", and not used in the production of baby food. Avoid poisoning by nitrates in our power. It is possible to reduce the concentration of harmful substances by heat treatment, do not use canned food. There are agricultural pollutants, which are intact in the environment, accumulate in plants, meat and fat of animals, and in the same unaltered enter the body, causing irreparable injury. Moreover, all these substances, unfortunately, able to penetrate into breast milk, so that children are not immune from intoxication.
Fighting with nitrates
The bulk of the nitrate enters the plant through the root system and moves to the leaves. High ability to accumulate nitrates differ spinach, lettuce, beets, radishes, radishes, parsley, celery, fennel, rhubarb, melon plants. Especially high concentrations of nitrate in cabbage - in the stalk and veins of leaves, cucumber, sorrel, fennel - in the petiole (tail), with carrots, radishes - in the bottom of the root. Nitrate is reduced during the cleaning, soaking, boiling. When cleaning of the plant are separated and thrown away most of the nitrate. The remaining parts of the plants soaked in water, thereby reducing the concentration of nitrates is 25%. Soak it is: peeled streaks leaves soaked in water for 1-2 hours, then drain the water and pour a new, steeping for about 1-2 hours, in the third water can leave them on overnight. Unfortunately, maceration effective only for leafy vegetables: cabbage, sorrel, parsley. More efficient hot water extract (decoction), derives up to 85% of nitrate from vegetables, including root vegetables (carrots, beets). The broth should pour hot as during cooling of the nitrates from the broth returns to the root.
Pesticides
To serious health problems resulting from entering into food agricultural pesticides, which include pesticides. They are widely used in agriculture to protect plants from diseases, weeds, pests, which increases the risk of falling into their residues in food and to adverse effects on the human body. Pesticides differ in their chemical structure (organochlorine, phosphorus-organic, rtutorganicheskih, etc.). Application of some of them banned. But despite this, described many cases of poisoning by various pesticides through contaminated food - flour, sugar and nuts. The clinical picture of pesticide poisoning are nonspecific: it includes dizziness, headache, fatigue, appetite loss and sleep. Typically, chronic pesticide poisoning occur protracted chronic nonspecific diseases may occur by the type of gastritis (inflammation of the gastric mucosa), hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchi). Developing an allergic reaction to this background exacerbate the disease and complicate diagnosis. Insure the receipt of pesticides in the body can be only one way - do not buy food at the "natural markets".
Wash pesticides?
It is known that fruits, berries and leafy vegetables washed free from pesticides under running water for about 60%. Also effective is the removal of pesticides by mechanically removing the skin, skins, shells, leaves. The maximum exemption from pesticide residues citrus, apples, pears, bananas, peaches, melons achieved by removing their skin. Milling and blanching as well as any thermal processing (roasting, steaming, stewing) contributing to the reduction of pesticide products in the 3-fold.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
These include benzpyrene, 20-methylcholanthrene, etc. They have a carcinogenic effect when entering the body, even in small doses (milligrams or micrograms). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are found in many foods (vegetables, fruits, smoked meat, grilled meat products), as well as their sources are the technological and cooking - smoking, especially in home conditions and factors of pollution - exhaust gases of internal combustion , industrial effluents, various types of packaging material (some cellophane and tin packing), soot and so on. Therefore, from the children's diet should be deleted smoked products.
Polychlorinated biphenyls
This high-chlorinated compounds that enter the environment from industrial waste and chemical plants capable of accumulating in fatty tissues of animals and, hence, fat-containing foods. The use of these products leads to acute poisoning, initial manifestations of which may be fever, vomiting, diarrhea.
Dioxins
Dioxins are among the most hazardous environmental pollutants and food products. They are the byproducts of the production of plastics, pesticides, paper. Dioxins are carcinogenic, immunotoxic, very stable in the environment, therefore, fall into the animal feed, accumulate in their fatty tissues, milk and end up in fat-containing products - oils, fats, meat and milk. Particularly heavily contaminated with dioxins seafood, because they are biological filters habitat, is passed through a contaminated water. Common symptoms of prolonged exposure to dioxins are a wide variety of skin manifestations and neurological disorders, disorders of the reproductive function. There may be such symptoms - persistent heterogeneous rashes, disorders of the nervous conduction, the cause of which is very difficult to establish.
Heavy metals
Heavy metals are widespread in living nature, and constantly found in food. Most heavy metals are essential nutrients, and potentially dangerous to health, ie toxic include cadmium, mercury, lead and tin. For all food products set the maximum allowable quantities of heavy metals, and the relevant authorities monitor compliance with regulations. The presence of each metal in food is monitored by chemical analysis, and in the human body - of maximum allowable concentrations. Contamination of food with heavy metals is due to industrial emissions and urban transport. Regular use of products with a high content of heavy metals will inevitably lead to a breach of many body systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, excretory, etc.), but for most heavy metals are no "specific" symptoms of poisoning and the destruction of the body, making it difficult to identify the reasons disease, and hence its treatment. Due to the processing of food raw materials - a thorough washing, cleaning products, separation of low-value parts can be removed from 20 to 40% of heavy metals. Poisoning by toxic heavy metals - mercury, lead, tin, as a rule, possible only in a hazardous industry.
Auxesis animals
First of all, these include hormones and antibiotics. In agriculture, for the rapid growth of muscle tissue of animals used, as a rule, anabolic hormones, allowing for regular use to increase muscle (food) a lot of animals. Along with hormones to grow fleshy and healthy cattle are widely used antibiotics. It is known that some portion of antibiotics are not excreted. The animals also partially antibiotic remains in meat, milk. When using this product increases the risk of allergic reactions, violations of local immunity, changes in intestinal microflora. In the baby food is forbidden to use drugs themselves and the products grown with their help. It should be noted that heavy metals and animal growth promoters are quite harmful, but controlled by the concentration in food substances. All the raw materials used for the production of baby foods, corresponds to the "hygienic safety and nutritional value of food" and approved by the state monitoring of food products for use in the production of baby foods, and finished products conform to requirements and offered for sale only after the conduct of clinical trials . Consequently, baby food can and should be widely used in children's food without fearing for their quality and safety, as they have been rigorously tested.
