Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi MPH(Aus), MHSM(Aus), MBBS Dept. of Public Health

1. Food Adulteration Dr. Mohammad HayatunNabi MPH(Aus), MHSM(Aus), MBBS Dept. of Public Health

2. What is Adulteration? • Simple definition: • Reducing the purity of a food by the addition of a foreign or inferior substance or by the removal of some valuable ingredient. • Defines almost every situation where the quality of a food might by impaired to the point where it should be removed from interstate commerce. Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

3. Adulteration • Greeks and Romans acted to prevent wine makers from coloring and flavoring wine • Athens had “public wine inspector” • England proscribed “scanting weight” of bakery goods • Edward the Confessor provided public punishment for brewers of “bad ale” • Pliny the Elder mentioned adulteration of bread Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

4. Adulteration • Addition of sand to brown sugar and rice to make heavier • Addition of colors to disguise poor quality • Snails added to milk to make more “frothy” • Addition of stone chips to rice to make heavier • Addition of formalin to keep the fish fresh • Use carbide and other chemicals to fruits and vegetables Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

5. Intentional Adulteration • Salt and acid food preservatives • Food colors • Coal Tars in EU • Vegetable dyes in US • Pickles colored green with copper salts • Food Flavors • Pear, banana essence in fruit juices Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

6. Intentional Adulteration • Milk adulterated with water and by removal of cream • Butter adulterated with lard and oleomargarine • Cheese made from skim milk or cottonseed oil • Starch addition to sausages Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

7. Adulteration Criteria • Magic words: • Poisonous and deleterious • Added substances • Injurious to health Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

8. Poisonous and Deleterious • Poisonous = injurious effect or deadly effect as result of chemical reaction between substance and body • N2 gas in flour • Deleterious = broader term which includes mechanical, physical and bacterial agents • Shell fragments in Oysters Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

9. Added Substances • Substances intentionally added to foods are scrutinized more closely • Legal question is whether or not substance is considered “added” or a component of the food • Would now be considered “food additives” Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

10. US v. Coca Cola • Issue: Was caffeine an “added substance” in coca cola • Company argued caffeine even if added separately should NOT be considered an added substance because it is essential to identity of product. • Court decided caffeine was an added substance on basis of protection consumer Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

11. Ordinarily Injurious • Oyster shell fragments in canned oysters. • Court held presence of shell fragments not “ordinarily injurious to health” so product not adulterated. Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

12. Food Additives • Any substance which is intended to become a component of a food product or which affects a food product • Includes substances used for processing, manufacture, packaging, treating, etc. • Including irradiation Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

13. Food Additives • Direct food additives • Substance intended for use in food • Serve a particular functional effect • Indirect food additives • Substances that become a part of food from processing, packaging or food contact surfaces reasonably expected to become part of food • Accidental Additives • Substances which accidentally get into foods are not considered food additives unless injurious to health Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

14. Food vs. Food Additive • Food is broad term that includes food components, raw materials and food additives • Food becomes a food additive when used as a component in another food • Food additives require premarket approval Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

15. Economic Adulteration • Food processed or manufactured in such a way as to make it appear to be better or of greater value than it is • Includes: • Appearance • Contents • Quantity • Volume Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

16. Economic Adulteration • P/D usually defined in relation to some measure of harm • May render injurious • Ordinarily renders injurious • Unsafe • As necessary for public health • Poisonous without regard to quantity • Flourine or Monochloroacetic acid in beer Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

17. Filthy/Putrid/Decomposed • Food is adulterated if consists in whole or in part of filthy, putrid or decomposed substances or if otherwise unfit for food • Products of diseased animals (died otherwise than by slaughter) • Protects aesthetics and sensitivities of consumers so contamination need not be visible Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

18. Other Adulteration Criteria: • De Minimis quantities • Quantity of contaminant too small • Otherwise unfit • Question of fact • Tough rubbery fish • Insanitary conditions • Packaged or held under insanitary conditions Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

19. Adulteration Summary • Adulteration is defined in terms of health, potential for harm and reduction in economic value • Standard is the measure of harm • May render injurious • Ordinarily injurious • Unsafe • Public health protection Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi

20. Thank you Dr. Mohammad Hayatun Nabi