Chemical Food Safety: Formation, Health Risk Toxicology and Analytical Techniques

Dear Colleagues,

The chemical safety of food is a key factor in ensuring the quality and safety of the food we eat. The incorporation and the formation of chemical contaminants in food, their potential health risks, toxicological considerations, analytical and chemometric techniques are constantly evolving issues. Thus, exogen pesticides, heavy metals and food additives are chemical contaminants in foods that can be incorporated through a variety of processes, such as during agricultural practices, food processing, packaging, and storage. Moreover, endogen contaminants such as mycotoxins can enter the food chain and pose a potential health risk to consumers. Understanding the pathways and factors that contribute to the appearance of these contaminants is essential for effective risk management. Specialized tools for risk assessment including toxicological studies allow for the minimization of potential adverse effects of chemical pollutants on human health. This information helps to establish regulatory guidelines, set maximum residue limits, and implement effective food safety measures. Analytical techniques are tools for understanding chemical contaminants in food. Today, analytical techniques are being developed with chemometric approaches and artificial intelligence modelling to assist in the prediction of compliance testing, monitoring programmes and quality control measures, ensuring the safety and integrity of the food supply chain. In this Special Issue, the goal is to advance the understanding of contaminant formation, health risk assessment, toxicological considerations, and the application of new analytical techniques for detection and control. This knowledge is crucial to ensure the safety and quality of the food we eat and to protect public health.

Dr. Efrén Pérez Santín
Dr. José Ignacio López Sánchez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• food safety
• food contaminants
• toxicity
• regulatory
• artificial intelligence
• prediction
• liquid chromatography
• gas chromatography
• chemometrics