The Department of Food Sciences, in cooperation with the Continuing Education Unit, organized a training course entitled “The Risks of Heavy Metal Accumulation in Certain Foods and the Impact of Different Processing Treatments on Their Removal.” The course lectures were delivered by Assistant Professor Dr. Ibtihaj Mustafa Hakim, Lecturer Dr. Samar Saleh Qasim, and Lecturer Dr. Nada Naji Tawfiq, with the attendance of a number of faculty members, staff, and students of the department.
The course addressed important scientific and practical aspects of food safety, particularly the risks associated with the accumulation of heavy metals in certain food products and the role of various processing treatments in reducing their concentrations or mitigating their effects. These measures contribute to improving food quality and enhancing consumer health protection.
Several key topics were covered, including the sources of food contamination by heavy metals, their pathways of transfer and accumulation within the food chain, and the effects of processing treatments such as washing, peeling, blanching, cooking, drying, and fermentation in reducing contaminant levels or altering their concentrations in different foods.
The course also highlighted the importance of implementing Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and quality control systems to monitor heavy metal levels in raw materials and final products. In addition, it reviewed modern technologies and natural solutions used to remove these contaminants or reduce their health risks, emphasizing the role of laboratory testing and continuous monitoring in ensuring food safety.
The course aimed to raise participants’ awareness of the dangers of heavy metal accumulation in foods and its direct impact on human health, while emphasizing the importance of selecting appropriate processing treatments to reduce these contaminants. It also sought to strengthen awareness of food monitoring and quality control measures to ensure the production of safe, healthy, and sustainable food.
