Useful guidelines to consumers for reducing chemical risks
1. Choose foods, especially for the children, which contain less food additives “E” (preservatives, colours etc.) by checking their label,.
2. Do not consume unwashed vegetables and fruits.
3. Wash the fruits and vegetables with very diluted lather, then with a little bit of vinegar & salt and rinse. This way, you reduce chemicals (e.g. PAHs, pesticides, Pb) and microbiological risks.
4. When preparing salads, use a variety of vegetables of different colours and preferably less green leafy vegetables. This way, you obtain a variety of vitamins, natural antioxidants, micronutrients and reduce the presence of nitrates, oxalates, etc.
5. When consuming fish, prefer the small and less fatty ones, which generally bioaccumulate less chemical contaminants, such as heavy metals, dioxins and PCBs.
6. When baking/ frying your food (e.g. potatoes) be careful not to overcook it, in order to avoid/ reduce the formation of acrylamide, PAHs etc.
7. Prepare food preferably at home. This way you will have a better control of the quality of raw materials you use.
8. When preparing seafood or other food of animal origin for cooking, it is better to remove offal, including cuttlefish ink, because they bioaccumulate more heavy metals and other toxic substances such as veterinary drug residues.
9. When buying cooking utensils and other materials intended to come into contact with food, choose those that have the proper symbol, in the case it is not clear they are intended for food.
10. Use cooking or storing utensils according to their instructions of use and for food they are intended for.
11. Store food preferably in glass or stainless steel 18/8 containers rather than plastics.
12. Especially pregnant women should take care and choose a healthy diet! The risk is greater for the foetus during the first months of pregnancy, but also infants and children are much more vulnerable!
Consumers with their responsible choices can do a lot towards a healthy and safe diet!