Ensure the safety and legal conformity of your food products, and learn about their fundamental characterisation
Metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury are naturally occurring chemical compounds. Because they are present in the environment, they may be contaminants in food.They can occur as a result of human activity such as agriculture, industry or automobile exhaust emissions, or from contamination during the processing and storage of foods. People may be exposed to these metals through ingestion of contaminated food or water. Over time, the accumulation of these substances can have adverse effects on the body. Food operators must take preventive measures to ensure that the presence of metals does not endanger consumer health. They therefore keep these levels at the lowest possible level by adhering to recommended good practices and with safeguards against exceeding the legally established maximum limits. Their objective is to protect public health.
Metals (trace elements, sodium, calcium, etc.) are also found in food as constituent elements, as well as in additives, dietary products, cosmetics, waste (sludge, sewage, etc.), biogas or packaging materials (FCM).
