Risk assessments to determine chemical food safety
When a chemical is found in a food product that is already on the market, a risk assessment can calculate whether it could pose a health hazard. A risk assessment can also determine before admission of a substance whether that substance is allowed to be in food products or may be used in food production – and if so, in which amounts. During an admission process for chemicals in food, threshold limits are derived for that substance. A risk assessment goes through various steps to determine whether there is a risk of health effects due to exposure to a chemical substance.