Food safety issue: PAhs toxin in food endanger human life

By: Kamilah Nazifah Kamin

Halalan toyyiban does not only cover the authenticity of the food being free from pig or alcohol presence but it also covers food safety. Food safety especially for meat-based foods is very important because they are basic nutrients as the main protein sources. However, toxins may occur in these types of food which has been contaminated by environmental pollutants that spread in the air and partition to the particle matter. 

Toxin compounds such as pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorinated and brominated compounds (i.e Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), Polybrominated dibenzodioxin (PBDD)) have a lipophilic nature thus it can be stored in muscle, liver or adipose tissue of animal and human after consuming it. Recently, toxin such as PAHs has become a big issue and extensively being discussed due to its carcinogenic, mutagenic and endocrine-disrupting activity to human (Mnif et al., 2011). Dissimilar to other harmful organic chemicals that have been barred or regulated in discharges, PAHs continue to be released into the environment because their persistent formation through the burning of fossil fuels in transport, petroleum products and forest fire (Burgess et al., 2003).

Zakaria et al. (2002) verified that input of PAHs to Malaysian waters are cause by frequent heavy rain that may transport leak petroleum and overflow of urban water treatment plants to flood into coastal waters and rivers hence exposing these toxins to be consume by fish. Other than that, these toxins can also be form during cooking process such as grilling, barbeque and smoking process. Nakamura et al. (2008) stated that it is probable to detect a single aromatic ring converted into a multiple ring systems at temperature above 400°C demonstrating the formation of PAHs due to char creation. He recommended that the production of radicals on the aromatic carbons by releasing the O-CH3 series may be the initial phase of PAH-like multiple ring system creation.

Therefore, bear in mind that though these foods are halal, but there are not toyyiban. Even though the toxins are present in very small amounts, they still harmful to human health (Nunez et al., 2005). These toxin effects can be reduce by removing the char from the grilled food such as in satay, chicken barbeque and so on. In addition we have to avoid from taking the same protein sources everyday and try to take different variety of protein sources such as meat, chicken, fish, egg and soy product. 

Last but not least, we are what we eat!

References 

Burgess, R., Ahrens, J. & Hickey, C., (2003). Geochemistry of PAHs in aquatic environments: source, persistence and distribution. In E.T. Douben, (Eds), PAHs: An Ecotoxicological Perspective. Ecological & Environmental Toxicology Series: Wiley.

Mnif, W., Hassine, A.I.H., Bouaziz, A., Bartegi, A., Thomas, & O., Roig, B. (2011). Effect of endocrine disruptor pesticides: A review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Publ. Health, 8, 2265–2303.

Nakamura, T., Kawamoto, H., & Saka, S. (2008). Pyrolysis ehavior of Japanese cedar wood lignin studied with various model dimmers. J. Anal. Appl. Pyrol, 81, 173–182.

Nunez, O., Moyano, E. & Galceran, M.T., (2005). LC-MS/MS Analysis of Organic Toxics in Food. Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 24(7), 683-703.

Zakaria, M.P., Takada, H., Tsutsumi, S., Ohno, K., Yamada, J., Kouno, E., & Kumata, H. (2002). Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in rivers and estuaries in Malaysia: a widespread input of petrogenic PAHs. Environmental Science and Technology, 36, 1907–1918.