Rachid Chaib - Chemicals in the Food Industry: Toxicological Concerns and Safe Use

The treated subjects will particularly appeal to professionals and researchers concerned with food chemistry. Many volume topics address professionals and current problems in the food industry, but will also be interesting for readers generally concerned with the chemistry of foods. With the unique format and character of SpringerBriefs (50 to 125 pages), the volumes are compact and easily digestible. Briefs allow authors to present their ideas and readers to absorb them with minimal time investment. Briefs will be published as part of Springers eBook collection, with millions of users worldwide. In addition, Briefs will be available for individual print and electronic purchase. Briefs are characterized by fast, global electronic dissemination, standard publishing contracts, easy-to-use manuscript preparation and formatting guidelines, and expedited production schedules.

Both solicited and unsolicited manuscripts focusing on food chemistry are considered for publication in this series. Submitted manuscripts will be reviewed and decided by the series editor, Prof. Dr. Salvatore Parisi.

To submit a proposal or request further information, please contact Tanja Weyandt, Publishing Editor, via tanja.weyandt@springer.com or Prof. Dr. Salvatore Parisi, Book Series Editor, via drparisi@inwind.it or drsalparisi5@gmail.com

More information about this subseries at http://www.springer.com/series/11853

This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG

The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland

Chemicals are essential for the production of a large number of industrial goods. Many industrial sectors use chemicals (cleaning, degreasing, paints, inks, adhesives, foods, photocopiers, cleaning products, etc.). These substances gradually invade the environment and many aspects of our life. It is through these products that millions of people can produce and consume goods necessary for life. Unfortunately, raising concerns about their effects on health and the environment are emerged. Poorly used, without basic or special precautions, many of these chemicals can become dangerous and sometimes cause great accidents and serious diseases. More than 33 % of employees in the general industry, including food and beverage articles, are exposed to at least one chemical product during their work. Rejected into nature without precautions or treatments, chemicals pollute the environment and break the natural balance for the development of life on earth, in water and air.

Some of these substances can have significant adverse effects on the environment and health, even at low doses. Other products also raise concerns because of their persistence in environments, difficulty of measuring them, and the lack of knowledge of their environmental and health impacts on a long-term scale. They can also be emitted as dust, gas, vapors, and their presence can then be unsuspected resulting in more serious injuries and/or material damages. It should also be noted that occupational cancers cause a mortality rate higher than that caused by occupational accidents: The multiplication of used chemicals and the complexity of industrial processes therefore really require increased vigilance regarding the carcinogenic risk they induce. Food industries are not an exception. Cancer is now the leading cause of death in industrialized countries. Respiratory cancers are the most frequent occupational cancers: Cancers attributable to asbestos, benzene, ionising radiations, and wood dust alone account for nearly 90% of work-related cancers. However, these diseases often take several decades to develop after exposure; their link with work is therefore not always easy to establish. Employers and workers must be able to protect themselves from carcinogens. In this respect, chemicals play a central role in health and safety at work. Therefore, the consideration of health issues at work can be an opportunity to change the medium-term performance of all areas of industries; on the other hand, failure to take these issues into account may penalize companies in future years.