Toxins and Contaminants in Indian Food Products

This book discusses the complex of problems of contaminants in foods with the example of Indian food products. The presence and analytical detection of detrimental substances such as pesticides, mycotoxins and other biologically-produced toxins, food chemicals and additives with natural or industrial origin are treated. Furthermore, the book addresses the production and the commercial exploitation of native botanical ingredients, and the question if such ingredients should be regarded as foods or drugs.
In the modern highly industrialized world, the interest in organic food production raises. The book sheds light on chemical aspects of organic farming practices in India. Readers will also find information on pesticides and other detrimental chemicals detection in Indian farming. In an outlook, the author reviews the resulting problems, such as how and why this can lead to border rejections during export, in particular to the European Union.

Ramesh Kumar Sharma is a Freelance Writer on food and environment issues particularly related with chemistry. He obtained his M.Sc. degree in Chemistry, with specialization in Physical chemistry, from the University of Rajasthan (India). He has worked as chemist at the Research Laboratory of Sriram Rayons in Kota (Rajasthan, India), and Fellow at the Science Education Centre (University Grants Commission Project) of University of Rajasthan in Jaipur. He has also worked as Chief Investigator at Play Material Project (UNICEF project) of National Council of Educational Research & Training in Jaipur (Field Adviser’s Office), and as Agmark Approved Chemist for edible oil industry and Quality Control Chemist at Tilam Sangh Rajasthan in Bikaner (Rajasthan). Recently, he has been collaborating with Dr. Salvatore Parisi as an author in the SpringerBriefs in Molecular Science: Chemistry of Foods.

Salvatore Parisi is a chemist and food scientist, working as a consultant for the food industry and as a lecturer in the academia. He obtained his MSc in Chemistry from the University of Palermo, and a PhD from the University of Messina (Italy). Dr. Parisi is also a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) after the successful completion of the FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food course in 2016 (according to new U.S. regulations). He serves as series editor for the SpringerBriefs in Molecular Science: Chemistry of Foods, and he is a member of the Editorial Board of different scientific journals. He is an associate of the Sicilian Order of Research Chemists (Italy), the EFSA’s Expert Database (EDB), Parma (Italy), and the FAO Food Safety Expert Roster, Rome (Italy). In addition, Dr. Parisi is a member of the AOAC Official Methods of Analysis SM (OMA) Expert Review Panel (ERP) for Fertilizers. He has an important scientific contribution (with more than 120 articles, books and software) in the fields of Packaging Technology, Polymer Chemistry, Shelf Life Prediction and Food Microbiology (Italian Oxoid Award, 2001).