What Are We Eating? Surveying the Presence of Toxic Molecules in the Food Supply Chain Using Chromatographic Approaches

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TL;DR

This review analyzes food alerts from the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) between January 2020 and June 2023, finding that pesticide residues account for nearly 60% of alerts and mycotoxins for 29%. It highlights the major abiotic contaminants, their toxic effects, and the critical role of chromatographic techniques (LC, GC-MS) in detection and quantification. The paper underscores the need for stringent regulations and continuous monitoring to ensure food safety.

Full summary

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**Background:** Food safety is a major public concern, particularly in developed countries, where consumers demand transparent and reliable information about food products. Food safety risks primarily arise from contaminants in the food supply chain, which can be biotic (e.g., pathogenic microorganisms) or abiotic (chemical substances). Abiotic contaminants include natural toxins (mycotoxins, plant toxins, marine toxins), environmental pollutants (pesticides, veterinary drug residues), and food-processing contaminants (e.g., acrylamide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). In the European Union, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) evaluates food risks, and the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) enables rapid information exchange on food hazards. Chromatography, especially liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS), is a leading analytical approach for detecting and quantifying these contaminants at trace levels.

**Methods:** The authors conducted a review of food alerts in the RASFF window database from January 2020 to June 2023, focusing on abiotic organic chemical contaminants. Filters included hazard categories such as "Mycotoxins," "Pesticide residues," "Residues of veterinary medicinal products," "Natural toxins," "Environmental pollutants," and others. Data were processed using Microsoft Excel to determine the distribution of alerts. Additionally, a literature search was performed on Google Scholar and PubMed using keywords "Food contaminants" and "Chromatographic analysis," limited to English-language peer-reviewed articles from the last five years (2018–2023). Relevant information on analytical methods was extracted.

**Key Results:** The analysis of RASFF alerts revealed that pesticide residues were the most frequent, accounting for nearly 60% of all food alerts. Mycotoxins were the second most common, representing 29% of alerts. Other categories had significantly lower incidences: veterinary drug residues, plant toxins, food-processing contaminants, environmental/industrial contaminants, and marine toxins (0.4%). Among pesticides, organophosphorus compounds like chlorpyrifos and dimethoate, as well as ethylene oxide, were frequently reported. For mycotoxins, aflatoxins were the most common, followed by ochratoxin A, patulin, and fusarium toxins. Veterinary drug residues often involved antibiotics such as tetracyclines (especially doxycycline), nitrofurans, and dyes like malachite green. Plant toxins included pyrrolizidine and tropane alkaloids, as well as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Marine toxins were dominated by lipophilic toxins causing amnesic, diarrhetic, and paralytic shellfish poisoning. Food-processing contaminants included polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), acrylamide, 3-monochloropropane diol (3-MCPD), and glycidyl esters. Environmental contaminants featured mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH), dioxins, and sulphites. The review of chromatographic methods showed that LC-MS/MS is the most commonly used technique, often preceded by sample preparation using QuEChERS or solid-phase extraction (SPE). Recent developments include multidimensional chromatography, miniaturized systems (nano-LC), and portable chromatography devices.

**Clinical Implications:** This review provides a comprehensive overview of the major chemical contaminants in the food supply chain, their toxic effects (e.g., carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption), and the analytical methods used for their detection. The findings emphasize the importance of regulatory frameworks, such as EU maximum residue limits (MRLs) and maximum levels for contaminants, to protect consumer health. The high prevalence of pesticide and mycotoxin alerts underscores the need for continuous monitoring and improved agricultural practices. Advances in chromatography, including green and portable methods, offer faster, more sensitive, and environmentally friendly approaches for food safety assessment, enabling better risk management and public health protection.