Almost a year ago, Neville Reed blogged on the Royal Society of Chemistry’s website about the alleged existence of ‘100% chemical free’ products. He challenged anyone to suggest a material that he agreed was 100% chemical free. The incentive was £1 million! To date the money remains unclaimed. The most promising contender? A video held on a USB stick. It was ruled out as the USB is made up of chemicals.
At the FSA, many of our staff spend their working days considering the impact of chemicals – those which make up our food, those which accumulate in foods through natural processes and those which end up there as a result of human activities. Some chemicals are essential for our health. Where would we be without vitamins or proteins in our diets? Fats are a more interesting example. We need fats to provide energy, but too much fat is bad for us. And eating the wrong type of fat is also a cause of health problems. It's a fat’s chemical structure which governs its properties and hence the impact it has on our body.
Aluminium finds its way into food through a number of routes. Plants absorb it from the soil. If we use aluminium cooking utensils, it leaches into the food, particularly if it's acidic. Some food additives contain aluminium. The Agency monitors intakes of aluminium because too much can have effects on our reproductive systems and developing nervous systems.
You can find out more about our work on the effects of chemicals in food – and our other scientific activities – in the 3rd Chief Scientist Annual Report which is being launched tonight at the Royal Society of Chemistry. I have thought long and hard about how to win the £1 million but it's too hard a problem for me. Perhaps I’ll challenge my fellow Chief Scientific Advisers to solve it…