Explain the terms: hazard, toxicity, contamination, food quality, adulteration.
Answers
Hazard is the relative probability that harm or injury will result when substance is not used in a prescribed manner and quantity. Hazardscan be physical, chemical and biological causing harmful / adverse effects on the health of consumers.
Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a substructure of the organism, such as a cell or an organ such as the liver.
Contamination is the presence of a constituent, impurity, or some other undesirable element that soils, corrupts, infects, makes unfit, or makes inferior a material, physical body, natural environment, workplace, etc.
Food quality is the quality characteristics of food that is acceptable to consumers. This includes external factors as appearance, texture, and flavour; factors such as federal grade standards and internal. Food quality in the United States is enforced by the Food Safety Act 1990.
An adulterant is a substance found within other substances such as food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, fuel or other chemicals that compromises the safety or effectiveness of said substance. It will not normally be present in any specification or declared contents of the substance, and may not be legally allowed.