Food contamination safety margins

Several reports have shown that humans may be exposed to TBT and TPT via fish, mollusks, and other marine products. Cooking neither destroys nor eliminates TBT, so that the organotin may contaminate the food. The levels, however, are not considered harmful to humans. Schweinfurth and Gunzel (1987) have proposed an ADI equivalent to 3.2 ig of TBTO per kg body weight that results in a safety margin of 100 in respect of the NOEL of TBTO in rats. 

A successful program of quality control also involves maintenance of sanitary conditions and production of products free from adulteration, contamination, and filth. Methods given by the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (1) should be applied to the finished product to ensure against seizure and prosecution by federal and state food and drug authorities. In many instances such methods of analysis are not adaptable to production-line control and less accurate but more rapid methods must be substituted. With such procedures, more severe tolerances must be used to provide a sufficient margin of safety. 

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