(Under construction)
I worked over 3 decades in food & water testing labs. Whenever non-routine problems were reported in the food supply (~twice a month), I was tasked with finding out what happened, and how serious or minor it was. (No one else wanted the job.) Especially interesting at first were the off-odor complaint cases, which required identifying normal/pleasant & abnormal/unpleasant. When a new early model GC-MS became available I took it and ran with it. It was indispensable for learning what were normal (naturally-occurring) compounds, and what were the contaminants and breakdown products. Other analytical tools were used when available. Below is a summary of commonly encountered problems and issues. Not for the squeamish or faint of heart. No trade secrets or private HIPAA information etc are shown.
Thanks to all who improved my knowledge base on various subjects over the years!
Misformulation by the manufacturer, missing or excess ingredients, impurities or breakdown in individual ingredients. There have been problems with too much Niacin. and also the fat soluble vitamins, mainly A and D (overfortification).
Water, tap & bottled – chlorination and calcium (hard water) cause the most aesthetic complaints, packaging materials
Olive oil (EVOO)
Lipids (fats, oils, essential oil flavoring)
Pigments, naturally occurring
Food poisoning, foodborne illness (chemical)
Mouth and facial flushing or tingling, numbness, headache – the 3 common causes
Quality deterioration during transport. Fresh produce bouncing in trucks/trains for thousands of miles (soft berries, ripe tomatoes). Drying out. Exhaust fumes in smaller older trucks. Critters. Air transport – Reduced transit time, but…reduced atmospheric pressure, dry low-humidity air, freeze-thaw cycles, condensation, odor transfer in enclosed cargo holds, some bouncing around inside strapped-down containers, surface contamination potential.
Dan Harring (54) 