Topic: Occurrence, Sources and Risk Assessment of Environmental Chemical Contaminants in Traditional and Novel Food

Famous quotes like "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" (Hippocrates) or "Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are" (Brillat-Savarin) show how much we rely on food every day of our life. However, environmental pollution is a major global food safety issue. Chemicals belonging to several classes, like persistent organic pollutants (POPs), flame retardants, plasticizers, pesticides, perfluorinated compounds, mycotoxins, toxic metals, etc., may end up in food at any stage of production, processing, and transport/storage, potentially exerting adverse effects on our health. Monitoring contamination levels, advancing analytical techniques, performing assessments of the associated potential risks, and minimizing individual exposure to food contaminants are thus essential to provide safer food globally. In this Special Issue, we welcome full research papers, short communications, and systematic or critical reviews, covering any of the following topics: 1. Occurrence and sources of environmental chemical contaminants, including contaminants of emerging concern, in food; 2. Occurrence and sources of nano- and microplastic residues in food; 3. Dietary exposure and risk assessment of legacy and emerging contaminants in food; 4. Novel insights on human exposure via food ingestion and dietary habits; 5. Food safety including the risk assessment of chemical hazards; 6. Advancement of the analytical methods/approach used for the characterization of food chemical safety. In addition, keeping in mind the timely necessity for more sustainable food sources and the Sustainable Development Goals recently adopted by the United Nations, areas such as the safety evaluation of novel foods (including alternative protein sources, novel food ingredients, and novel methods of production) are included in the scope of the Special Issue and heartily encouraged.

All submissions MUST consider the implications for human and/or wildlife exposure to contaminants. Please see the Aims and Scope of JEEA for further guidance.

30 Jun 2024