How Much is Too Much? Regulatory Limits Versus Public Health Limits

摘要

© 2022, International Association for Food Protection. All rights reserved.Is food safe even when it meets federally-mandated standards? Such “regulatory limits” certainly provide agreed-upon and transparent metrics by which a scientific (and political) consensus can be reached. However, such limits may not be understood or even cared about by the consumer. So often, the consumer simply wants “none” of the chemicals or ingredients that the consumer believes might cause harm. Reconciling these “public health limits” with regulatory limits is inherent to moving food safety and food science forward. This article provides examples of the stressors between these two types of limits and suggestions about how to handle them.