Chronical health risks from natural toxins in our food – from a European perspective (Chinese and English versions)

The notion of toxin-free food may be more of a fantasy than a factual reality. To help identify and prioritize health risks associated with long-term consumption of harmful substances and especially of natural toxins through food, a dedicated study was conducted. We assessed the safety of our food supply by examining over 100 risk evaluations carried out at the European level, primarily by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). We analysed in depth the potentially hazardous natural toxins in food that European consumers are chronically exposed to. In this review, the health implications of these contaminants, their potential risk for average consumers in Europe and the findings from our study regarding individual toxins are discussed. We have also made an attempt to rank the risks posed through chronical exposure to chemical food contaminants that are of concern for public health. Aflatoxins are ranked as the third most important chemical contaminant in our food since they pose a high risk due to their significant carcinogenic potency causing liver cancer in humans coupled with the high consumption of cereal-based foods in Europe. Despite their genotoxic and carcinogenic effects, pyrrolizidine alkaloids occupy only the fifth position due to their limited sources – tea, honey, or herbs – of human exposure to this group of plant toxins.