Food safety is threatened by numerous contaminants, which can originate from environmental pollution, such as toxic metals and organic halogenated compounds; chemicals used in the production of food, such as pesticides and veterinary drugs; contaminants formed during food production and cooking; contaminants arising from food packaging, or natural toxins in food. Consumers’ perceptions of food-...

THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS WHICH HAVE THEIR MAJOR EFFECTS ON THE SMALL INTESTINE MAY BE CLASSIFIED INTO FIVE MAJOR CATEGORIES: (1) bacterial, viral, and parasitic agents, (2) food and plant substances, (3) environmental and industrial products, (4) pharmaceutical agents, and (5) toxic agents whose metabolic effects are dependent on interreaction with intestinal bacterial flora, other physic...

Human breath is the gaseous exchange with the blood and thus contains trace organic contaminants and metabolites representative of environmental doses. Sampling and analysis of gaseous components in human breath offers a noninvasive and quick means of qualitatively and quantitatively assessing internalized doses of environmental contaminants. Although the humid and complex nature of breath is a...