Food Contaminant Analysis: Chemical Hazards, Residues, and Toxicological Implications

Chemical contaminants in food represent one of the most complex challenges in modern food safety and public health. Unlike microbiological hazards that often cause immediate illness, many chemical contaminants exert long-term health effects through chronic exposure. Substances such as heavy metals, pesticide residues, mycotoxins, veterinary drug residues, persistent organic pollutants, and process contaminants can accumulate in the food chain and contribute to carcinogenicity, endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, and other adverse health outcomes.Food Contaminant Analysis: Chemical Hazards, Residues, and Toxicological Implications provides a comprehensive reference on the scientific foundations and analytical approaches used to detect, characterize, and manage chemical hazards in food systems. The book explores the origins, classification, and toxicological properties of contaminants arising from environmental pollution, agricultural practices, food processing, and packaging materials.The volume presents detailed discussions of major contaminant groups including mycotoxins, pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, PFAS, and emerging contaminants such as microplastics. It also introduces modern analytical workflows used in food safety laboratories, including chromatographic separation techniques, high-resolution mass spectrometry, multi-residue detection strategies, and advanced sample preparation approaches used for complex food matrices.Designed for analytical chemists, food scientists, toxicologists, regulatory professionals, and public health researchers, this book bridges laboratory science and risk assessment. Through scientific explanation, analytical frameworks, and regulatory perspectives, it provides a practical and authoritative guide for understanding chemical hazards in the global food supply and strengthening food safety systems in an increasingly complex world.