Food Contaminants & Adulteration

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) provides the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with broad regulatory authority over food that is introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce. Section 402(a)(1) of the FFDCA provides that a food is deemed to be adulterated if it contains any poisonous or deleterious substances, such as chemical contaminants, which may or ordinarily render it harmful to health. Under this provision of the FFDCA, FDA oversees the safety of the U.S. food supply (domestic and imports), in part, through its monitoring programs for natural toxins (e.g., mycotoxins), pesticides, and anthropogenic (e.g., industrial chemicals, such as dioxins; cooking or heating related chemicals, such as acrylamide; trace elements, such as lead) contaminants in food and the assessment of potential exposure and risk.

Chemical Contaminants

• Acrylamide
• Dioxins and PCBs
• Ethyl Carbamate
• Furan
• Melamine
• Perchlorate
• Radionuclides

Filth and Extraneous Materials

• The Defect Action Level Handbook

Metals

• Arsenic
• Lead
• Mercury