Norway publishes key contaminants that should be monitored in food and food contact materials

In June 2022, the Norwegian Council for Food and Environmental Sciences (VKM) published a report giving guidance on how the country can monitor exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals in food
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The report provides additional information on a list of substances of concern first published by VKM in 2019, and provides further recommendations for the sampling procedures and sample sizes that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority should undertake to accurately assess chemical exposure in Norway volume and regulatory compliance
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Some contaminants from food processing equipment and food packaging are listed by VKM as important contaminants to monitor
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Back in 2019, the VKM combined a Norwegian diet survey with information on the health hazards of food contaminants to create a ranking of substances most in need of monitoring
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VKM believes that among the foods people consume daily, the key substances that need to be monitored most are acrylamide (CAS 79-06-1), 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol (CAS 96-24-2) and their fatty acid esters , glycidyl fatty acid esters, furans, heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
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Substances of concern in food packaging are bisphenols and melamine
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The amount of bisphenols and melamine present in food depends on the type of material used and the method of exposure
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Factors such as temperature and pH may affect the migration of bisphenols and melamine from contact materials to food
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Bisphenol A (BPA, CAS 80-05-7) was measurable in all adults in Europe, according to results presented at the final meeting of the European Union's Human Biomonitoring Programme (HBM4EU) in April 2022.
levels, and half of them were further exposed to BPA substitutes BPS (CAS 5397-34-2) and/or BPF (CAS 620-92-8)
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