HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION IN FOODS AND THEIR HEALTH EFFECTS IN MAN

Abstract

The increasing demand for food safety has accelerated research regarding the risk associated with food consumption contaminated by heavy metals. Various studies have been carried out to access the level of heavy metals in food. These studies are necessary because heavy metal accumulation occurs in the body tissues gradually reaching a level causing various irritations and ailments in the short and long term because they have been found to be cytotoxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic in animals and man. Various researches conducted in the field of toxicology revealed that most food sampled had heavy metals present with some exceeding the standards set by various regulatory bodies. Because of their effects on man, various treatment processes have been put forward which includes using plants to remove these heavy metals from the body and the use of drugs (chelation therapy). It is however recommended that manufacturing processes and soil which serve as medium of contamination should be monitored as well as the food itself. This work is aimed at reviewing heavy metal contamination in foods and their health effects in man