Key food contaminants in Finland – health risks and information gaps. Finnish Food Authority Research Reports 1/2021

The aim of this project was to prioritize from Finnish consumers’ perspective the food contaminants controlled under Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 or referred to in the European Commission’s monitoring recommendations. This prioritization of contaminants was based on the seriousness of the health effects of each compound and the level of risk for high users. As the highest priority group were identified carcinogenic compounds (environmental toxins, mycotoxins or compounds formed during food processing), the exposure level of which is sufficient to make an increased incidence of cancers in the population probable. The most important contaminants that are harmful in a single dose were those that inhibit cellular respiration or slow down the heart rate, exposure to which could in the worst-case scenario be lethal to a consumer in an at-risk group. To support the planning of monitoring, the food groups in which monitoring and determination of contaminant concentrations would be the most essential nationally were also identified. In addition to a list of substance specific priorities, the factors taken into account in the assessment included the age and coverage of national data sets, concentrations of contaminants in different food groups, key sources of consumer exposure and whether concentrations measured in Finland differ clearly from EU averages. The report includes an English summary of the main findings.