Detection of food, agricultural and aquatic contaminants

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) predicts that food production will need to increase by 70% by 2050 in order to meet the demands of the projected growth in population. This projected increase and the constant risk posed from contaminants puts greater pressure on the food industry to provide safe food to the consumer and to meet the demands for food production. Intensive farming and food production have been linked to increased agricultural and environmental contaminants including chemicals, industrial waste and to naturally occurring 222components such as toxins, bacteria and viruses. If released into the environment, these contaminants can affect livestock, fish or shellfish and travel through the food chain to humans. There are well-established regulations; e.g. (EC) No. 1881/2006 sets maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs to protect public health. Similarly, monitoring programmes involving detection of contaminants have been established in order to avoid the large costs of contamination, clean-up in the environment and associated health costs [1]. Immunoassay-based tests are now very widely used by producers, food processors, regulatory authorities and consumers. While a comprehensive discussion of the current detection of all contaminants is beyond the scope of this chapter, particular emphasis will be placed on the use of immunoassays for the detection of contaminants in food, agriculture and in aquatic environments.