title: Are food and environmental toxicants 'overdetected' by bioassay?
abstract: The definition of clean bioprocessing of foods should relate to the discharge of clean effluents that do not disturb functional ecosystems in the environment. Clean effluents should not pollute aquatic or terrestrial environments by increasing the levels or determined bioavailibility of reactive oxygen species (ROS), traces of heavy metals (e.g. arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium) or radionuclides or other ecotoxicants such as the endocrine disrupting chemicals (e.g. xenoestrogens), herbicides and pesticides. Some saleable foodstuffs can contain very small amounts of potentially toxic components. Strategies dealing with potential toxins should be aimed at targeting remedial bioprocessing to safe limits as stipulated by regulatory agencies, rather than trying to eliminate all toxic components of food so that they can no longer be detected by bioassay or other highly sensitive techniques. The ability to detect even the tiniest amounts of toxicants may not be necessary. This 'overdetection' could lead to inappropriate courses of action in some situations.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Group, School of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK GU2 7XH.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wiseman
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ridgway
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Goldfarb
authors.forename: Len
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Woods
mesh_terms: D000345:Affinity Labels / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000592:standards; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005524:Food Technology / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000345:Affinity Labels; D000975:Antioxidants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D010088:Oxidoreductases