SCIE1007

Molecular Science
in Daily Life

Dr. King-Him Yim, Ivan

Science and our daily life

Disease and drug

How environment affects

Disease and diet
our health

Environment and Food science and

health human wellness

Food quality and environment

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

After this lesson, you will …
• Understand the importance of food safety in our daily life
• Able to explain the general principles of common methods used in food analysis
• Able to describe the differences between organic farming and conventional
farming
• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of GM food

Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Food safety
1. Food incidents
2. Chemical analysis of food samples
3. Organic farming

Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

 Food safety issues

Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Excessive preservative in food
• A sample of uncooked loose-packed dumpling
wrapper was found to contain benzoic acid at a
level exceeding the legal limit
• Benzoic acid is a preservative of low toxicity
• Long-term exposure to excessive benzoic acid may
affect health, such as by causing gastrointestinal
disturbances

Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Food incident
• Concerns about the safety of a food (or animal feed) product and action may need to
be taken to protect consumers
• Two categories defined by Food Standards Agency:
• Contamination of food or animal feed in processing, distribution, retail and catering
• Environmental pollution incidents such as fires, chemical/oil spills and radiation leaks
• Four levels based on potential impact: routine, serious, severe, and major

Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

 8

Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Food incident in HK
• Hong Kong imports over 90% of its food and the great diversity of food comes from all
over the world

https://www.cfs.gov.hk/tc_chi/multimedia/multimedia_pub/multimedia_pub_fsf_200_01.html 9

Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Ice cream incident
• Häagen-Dazs ice cream from France were found in Taiwan with ethylene oxide
• A pesticide that is not authorized by the European Union
• The vanilla extract from one supplier was the source of the banned substance

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Ethylene oxide
• Kill viruses and bacteria
• Sterilize certain equipment such as
medical devices
• Cannot be sterilized using alternative
methods such as steam and radiation
• Short-term exposure: headaches,
nausea, diarrhea, difficulty
breathing, and other problems,
• Long-term exposure: cancer
• Banned by the European Union
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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Lead in drinking water incidents
• Samples of potable water in Hong Kong were found to
contain excessive levels of heavy metals including lead,
nickel and cadmium in 2015
• 11 housing estates were found to contain excessive lead
in drinking water, even schools and public buildings
across Hong Kong
• The contamination came from the use of cheap but
prohibited lead solder in the pipes

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Source of lead in
drinking water
• The WSD has made reference to the
international standard ISO5667
• Without flushing the pipes
beforehand, the samples can only
represent the quality of water
stagnant in the pipes for some time

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Health issues of excessive lead
• A naturally occurring heavy metal that usually presents in very small amounts in
the environment (such as batteries)
• Long-term exposure: anemia (not enough red blood cells, increased blood
pressure, brain, and kidney damage

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Dried goji berries incident
• Goji berry (wolfberry): a TCM commonly used in
many home-cooked dishes
• Goji berries have become a “superfood” due to
their anti-oxidizing and antiviral properties
• 2 out of 37 samples were found with a lead
concentration close to the upper limit
• Over 70% of the samples were found to contain
pesticides, one of which was even detected with
7 pesticides

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Cocktail effect
• The combination of pesticides may result in a
multiplying “cocktail effect” which could pose
health risks
• Some chemicals are not dangerous when present at
doses below the defined thresholds, but can be
toxic when combined
• According to US EPA, some pesticides, e.g.
organophosphates and carbamates, affect the
nervous system
• Irritate the skin or eyes, be carcinogens, or affect
the hormone or endocrine system in the body
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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Center for food safety (CFS)
• Established on 2 May 2006 under the Food and
Environmental Hygiene Department
• To ensure that food sold in Hong Kong is safe and fit
for consumption through tripartite collaboration
among the Government, food trade, and consumers
• Nine sections responsible for various tasks, including
food surveillance and certification, etc.
• Investigates food poisoning outbreaks on food
premises and advises on food standards

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Center for food safety (CFS)

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Results of samples with irregularity
Preservative exceeds legal Coliform bacteria exceeds legal Pesticide residue exceeds Metallic contaminant exceeds
limit in pickled vegetable limit in Frozen Confections legal limit in watercress legal limit in prepacked dried
sample sample sample agaricus mushroom sample

● Food name: Pickled ● Product name: Ekselence Ice
vegetable Cream Mini Classic Stick (45
g)
● Preservative: Sulphur
dioxide ● Non-compliant test
parameters: Contains more
● Detected level: 1200 than 100 coliform bacteria
parts per million per gram
● Maximum permitted ● Detected content: 5
limit: 500 parts per samples from the same
million batch contain 160 to 290
coliform bacteria per gram
● Food name:
Watercress
● Pesticide: Chlorpyrifos
● Detected level: 0.831
parts per million
● Maximum permitted
limit: 0.1 parts per
million
● Product name: Imperial
Banquet Dried Agaricus
Mushroom
● Metallic contaminant:
Arsenic, Cadmium
● Detected level: 0.582
mg/kg, 0.52 mg/kg
● Maximum permitted
limit: 0.5 mg/kg, 0.1
mg/kg

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

 Chemical analysis of food samples

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Sample preparation
• Extraction of a representative sample from a large
volume of material and preparing it for analysis
• Can be solid, gas, liquid or solutions, biological matter or cells,
or mixtures
• Can include many processes, from reactions or treatment with
chemical agents, to filtration, dilution, and extraction
• Important as some materials cannot be analyzed in an in-
situ condition (e.g. proteins, DNA, and RNA)
• Make the analytes more suitable for analysis by
• Releasing analytes from the matrix
• Removing interfering elements to improve accuracy
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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Gas chromatography

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Gas chromatography
• Based on the degree or partition
between two phases
• Stationary phase (either a solid adsorbent or
a liquid on an inert support)
• Mobile phase (chemically inert gas)
• Can be applied in volatile compounds
and thermally stable compounds
• Useful for organochloride and
organophosphates pesticides

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

GC mechanism

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Liquid chromatography
• Based on the interactions of the sample with the mobile and stationary phases
• Many stationary/mobile phase combinations that can be employed
• Can be applied in the separation and qualitative/quantitative analysis of nonvolatile
or thermally-unstable compounds, e.g. pharmaceuticals, inorganic salts, proteins,
etc.

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Mass spectrometry
• Separates ionized particles such as atoms and molecules based on their mass to
charge ratio
• Determine the molecular weight of the particles
• Different ionization methods used in MS
• Applicable in drug testing, food contamination detection, pesticide residue analysis,
etc.

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Pasteurization, organic farming and GM food

27

Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Raw meat experiment
• Chris Erm is a popular Instagrammer
• He eats raw meat and unpasteurized dairy products
until he either dies of bacteria or unlocks the secret
to immortality

28

Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Raw milk
• Milk that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria
• Raw milk can get contaminated many ways
• Healthy animals can carry germs that are harmful to people
• Might have many days of diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Pasteurization
• By heating at 63°C for 30
minutes, or at a higher
temperature of 72°C for
15 seconds
• Then immediately cooling
it to a temperature of not
more than 10°C
• Achieve a 99.999%
reduction of the microbial
load

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Pasteurization (con’d)
• Some spore-forming bacteria like
Bacillus may remain active after
pasteurization
• Could lead to food spoilage or even food
poisoning
• Pasteurization has different effects on
various nutrients
• Have little impact on minerals, fat
composition, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, and
• Diminishes the amounts of those less heat-
stable like vitamin C.

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

What is organic farming?
• Relies on ecological management and
produces crops in an environmentally
friendly and sustainable manner
• No chemical pesticides and fertilizers or
genetically engineered materials are used
• Works in harmony with nature and
preserves biological diversity
• Adopts organic practices to manage pests
and maintain soil fertility

https://www.afcd.gov.hk/tc_chi/agriculture/agr_orgfarm/agr_of_kmaog/files/1_organic_farming_principles.pdf
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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

What is organic farming?

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Importance of organic farming
• Objectives:
• Responsible use of energy and natural resources
• Maintain biodiversity and protect animal welfare
• Conserve the regional ecological balance
• Improve soil fertility and water quality
• Characteristics:
• Environment-friendly way of farming
• Protect water, air, and soil from chemical pollution
• Maximum use of local material
• Use natural ways to increase agricultural production

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Principles of organic farming
• Principles of health:
• Organic agriculture should sustain and enhance the health of
soil, plant, animal, human, and planet as one and indivisible
• Healthy soils produce healthy crops and we should avoid the
use of fertilizers, pesticides, and animal drugs

• Principles of ecology:
• Organic agriculture should be based on living ecological
systems and cycles
• Organic management must be adapted to local conditions,
ecology, culture and scale
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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Principles of organic farming (con’d)
• Principles of fairness:
• Those involved in organic agriculture should conduct human
relationships in a manner that ensures fairness at all levels and
to all parties: farmers, workers, processors, distributors,
traders and consumers

• Principles of care:
• Precaution and responsibility are the key concerns in
management, development and technology choices in organic
agriculture
• Prevent significant risks by adopting appropriate technologies
and rejecting unpredictable ones, such as genetic engineering
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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

 Organic vs. conventional

Less amount of chemical fertilizer and pesticide

More land is needed to increase the yield

More land is needed → deforestation and loss of ecosystem

No chemical fertilizer and pesticide

https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.903500
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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Organic vs. conventional (con’d)
Organic farming
• Relies on natural principles like biodiversity
and composting instead to produce healthy,
abundant food
• Causes a smaller carbon footprint,
conserves and builds soil health, and
replenishes natural ecosystems for cleaner
water and air
• Results in more soil biodiversity and an
abundance of macro and microorganisms
Molecular Science in Daily Life
Conventional Farming
• Relies on chemical intervention (e.g.
synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and
fertilizers) to fight pests and weeds, provide
plant nutrition and increase the yields per
hectare
• Causes increased greenhouse gas
emissions, soil erosion, and water pollution
• Results in less soil biodiversity and fewer
macro and microorganisms 38
Food safety
Chemicals used in organic farming
• Natural or non-synthetic pesticides are allowed by the
USDA National Organic Standards
• Naturally occurring microscopic fungus used to infect and fight
targeted insects
• Restricted access to 25 synthetic chemicals (900 for
conventional farming)
• Allowed pesticide products have such low toxicity levels
that the EPA considers them exempt from tolerance
• Copper sulfate can be used as algaecide
• Ethanol and isopropanol can be used as disinfectants

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Organic food is healthier?
• An UK research reviewed the 162
articles on organic vs. non-organic
crops published between 1958 and
2008
• No evidence for any differences in the
content of over 15 different nutrients
including vitamin C, beta-carotene, and
calcium
• Still, there were some differences:
• Conventional crops had higher nitrogen
levels
• Organic ones had higher phosphorus and
acidity 40

Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Organic food taste better?
• Growing a crop organically or conventionally doesn’t
consistently affect its taste
• Studies show that people just need to think foods are
organic to believe they taste better
• Many food experts and chefs actually do believe that
organic foods tend to taste better
• The food experts give credit to the soil care practiced by organic
farmers
• Strong nourishment of the soil leads to well-nourished plants,
which in turn yields food with high nutritional content and
optimal flavor
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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Pros and cons of organic farming

Advantages
• Protect the land from degradation
• Improve biodiversity
• Support water and soil conservation
• It reduces human and animal health
hazards by reducing the level of residues in
the product.
Disadvantages
• Diminish productivity in the long-term
• As the soil health and fertility decline
over time → yields decrease
• Cost higher prices
• Require a lot of time
• Require more land to produce the same
amount of food than conventional farming

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

GM food
• Genetically modified, or are made using
ingredients derived from GM organisms (e.g. GM
yeast)
• Often called “modern biotechnology”, “gene
technology”, or “genetic engineering”
• Allows selected individual genes to be transferred
from one organism into another, also between non-
related species
• To prevent crop and food loss and control weeds,
• Provide a higher nutritional value to food
• Resistant to pests
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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

How GM
food is
done?

https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/science/gm
foods/
https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/gm-
plants/what-is-gm-and-how-is-it-done/ 44

Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/health-effects-gmo-foods/story?id=23459884
https://guardian.ng/features/top-20-genetically-modified-foods-products/
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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

How GM
food is
regulated?

https://gmoanswers.com/how-are-gmos-regulated
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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

GM food vs. organic food
GM food
• Use genetically modified organisms, where
genes from one organism are transferred to
another to obtain desired traits
• Resistant to pests, which can reduce the need
for synthetic pesticides
• Less expensive because GMO crops are bred to
grow efficiently → using less land, less water,
and fewer pesticides
• Alter DNA (which may come from animals,
viruses, or bacteria)
Molecular Science in Daily Life
Organic food
• Use natural agriculture methods, without the
use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or
genetically modified organisms
• Rely on natural pest control methods and may
use the natural pesticides
• Usually more expensive due to the maintenance
cost and yield
• Retain the original genetic makeup
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Food safety
Pros and cons of GM food
Advantages
• Cost less to produce GMO foods
• Fewer weeds invade the crop
• Provide higher nutritionally improved traits
to provide health benefits for consumers
• Increase crop yields and reduce losses
• Reduce the use of pesticides
Molecular Science in Daily Life
Disadvantages
• Increase antibiotic resistance
• Superweeds have been discovered that
resist normal herbicides
• Cause allergic reactions in some people
• In rare cases, cancer is found because of
the altered chemicals in food products
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Food safety
Student survey

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

 Quiz Time!

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Molecular Science in Daily Life Food safety

Thank You!

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