Emerging Chemical Risks in Food Systems: Insights from Scientific Evidence and Safety Evaluations

Abstract

Chemical contamination in the food system is a growing global issue that poses serious risks to human health. Various types of chemicals, such as heavy metals, pesticide residues, food additives, and new contaminants, can enter the food chain through the environment, production, distribution, and storage processes. This study aims to systematically examine the types of chemical contaminants in food, their toxicity mechanisms, and their implications for food safety and public health. The method used was a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of relevant, academically indexed scientific publications from 2017–2022. The results show that chemical contaminants are increasingly diverse and complex, with the main toxicity mechanisms including oxidative stress, DNA damage, enzyme system disruption, and vital organ dysfunction. Long-term exposure, even at low doses, has the potential to cause chronic effects such as cancer, neurological disorders, metabolic diseases, and reproductive disorders. Therefore, strengthening regulations, improving risk-based monitoring systems, and innovating food processing technologies are needed to sustainably minimize the risks of chemicals in food