Controls on chemicals in food

Food businesses must make sure the food they produce or sell is safe to eat. This includes controlling chemicals that can get into food.

Chemicals in food can come from:

• additives and colours
• food contact materials and packaging
• pesticides and veterinary medicines used in farming
• natural components in plants, for example, glycoalkaloids in potatoes
• certain treatment processes, such as irradiation

Chemicals can also be found in food as a result of other contaminants. For example:

• mycotoxins can occur or increase during storage of foodgrains
• acrylamide can form during cooking and processing of starchy food
• pollution can affect food chains through air, land and water contamination

This guide explains the main types of chemicals you need to know about, including food additives and colours, and food contact materials and packaging. It also links to further guidance to help you check that your food and drink products are safe, correctly labelled and compliant with the law.