Natural Toxins in Food: Many People Don't Aware of the Health Risks
Last reviewed: 14.06.2024
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Many people are concerned about the presence of chemical residues, pollutants or microplastics in their food. However, what is less known is that many foods also contain completely natural toxins. These toxins are often chemical compounds that plants use to defend themselves against predators such as insects or microorganisms. Such substances can be found in beans and potatoes, for example, and can pose potential health risks.
However, according to a recent representative survey by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), only slightly less than half of respondents (47%) were aware of plant toxic substances. A special edition of the BfR Consumer Monitor on naturally occurring plant toxins also showed that 27% of people are concerned about this risk.
At the same time, residues in food (e.g. From plant protection products) and contaminants, i.e. Substances that are not intentionally added to food (e.g. Heavy metals) are a concern for 63 and 62% of respondents respectively.
"The survey results clearly show that risks of natural origin tend to be underestimated, while risks of synthetic origin tend to be overestimated," says BfR President Professor Andreas Hensel.
Raw plant foods are consumed frequently by 34% of people, sometimes or rarely by 45%, and very rarely or not at all by 19%.
What products with natural plant toxins do you already know? If this question is asked openly and without pre-selection, potatoes are mentioned first (15%), followed by tomatoes, raw beans (9% each) and mushrooms (5%).
More than half of respondents (53%) believe they are poorly informed about plant toxins in food, while only 8% believe they are well informed.
Residues are residual amounts of substances that are used in food production. For example, residues may remain in fruits, vegetables or grains even if crop protection products are used correctly.
Contaminants, on the other hand, are unwanted substances that accidentally end up in food. They can occur naturally in the environment, appear during the processing of raw materials into food, or be released into the environment as a result of human activity. Pollutants are undesirable because they can be harmful to health under certain circumstances.
The study also highlighted the related topic of "moldy food." Here too there is a clear need for education. Even small amounts of mold toxins can be harmful to the health of people and animals. For example, moldy jam should always be thrown away completely.
However, 25% of respondents said that they only remove the moldy part. In the case of moldy berries, the affected and surrounding fruit should also not be eaten. Only 60% adhere to this rule.