Benzene as a Chemical Hazard in Processed Foods

Abstract

This paper presents a literature review on benzene in foods, including toxicological aspects, occurrence, formation mechanisms, and mitigation measures and analyzes data reporting benzene levels in foods. Benzene is recognized by the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) as carcinogenic to humans, and its presence in foods has been attributed to various potential sources: packaging, storage environment, contaminated drinking water, cooking processes, irradiation processes, and degradation of food preservatives such as benzoates. Since there are no specific limits for benzene levels in beverages and food in general studies have adopted references for drinking water in a range from 1–10 ppb. The presence of benzene has been reported in various food/beverage substances with soft drinks often reported in the literature. Although the analyses reported low levels of benzene in most of the samples studied, some exceeded permissible limits. The available data on dietary exposure to benzene is minimal from the viewpoint of public health. Often benzene levels were low as to be considered negligible and not a consumer health risk, but there is still a need of more studies for a better understanding of their effects on human health through the ingestion of contaminated food.

Acarbose Protects From Central and Peripheral Metabolic Imbalance Induced by Benzene Exposure

“…Benzene concentrations vary depending on geographic location [4,5], duration or route of exposure, and individual susceptibility factors such as age, gender or lifestyle. Various sources of benzene exposure include drinking contaminated water or food, smoking cigarettes, breathing secondhand cigarette smoke, vehicle exhaust or petroleum fuels, vaping e-cigarettes, using paint or detergent products [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. While values of ambient benzene air concentrations in the U.S. have typically been <1 ppm (parts per million), significantly higher levels can be experienced as a result of various environmental factors [15] [16].…”

Production of Gasolines and Monocyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: From Fossil Raw Materials to Green Processes

“…Even if this chemistry also contributes to some environmental problems [14], its role in developing materials and molecules for our common life is enormous [15]. On the other hand, dangerous amounts of this molecule are also simply formed, e.g., by cooking food [9], and cigarette smoking is still the main source of human exposure to benzene [16].…”

“…On the other hand, they are present in the environment also as products of (auto)combustion or heating of biomass and in oil seepages. They are also formed spontaneously by cooking food [9], smoking tobacco [10], and burning wood for heating, cooking, and garden care.…”

Antimicrobial Activity of Nanoencapsulated Essential Oils of Tasmannia lanceolata, Backhousia citriodora and Syzygium anisatum against Weak-Acid Resistant Zygosaccharomyces bailii in Clear Apple Juice

“…This yeast can grow above the legally permitted levels of preservatives, thus becoming a dangerous yeast in the food and beverage industries [22][23][24]. Sodium benzoate is a monocarboxylate weak-acid preservative (E211) commonly used in a low-pH (<4.5) beverage system; however, it has been found to react with ascorbic acid in drinks producing a carcinogen benzene, which occurs during storage due to the decarboxylation of benzoate [19,22,25]. The inhibition action of sodium benzoate against the growth of microorganisms is active only in a low-pH environment.…”