Chemical Carcinogens in Food

The word carcinogenic is defined as the capacity of a compound to unleash the cancer development process in humans and animals by acting on one of the different organs or tissues under appropriate conditions. However, with the demonstration of different mechanisms involved in carcinogenesis, it is accepted that this definition is not sufficient. From an experimental perspective, a compound is considered carcinogenic when its administration to laboratory animals causes a statistically significant increase in the incidence of one or more types of histological neoplasia compared to animals in a control group not exposed to the substance. The use of chemical compounds benefits society in different ways. For example, pesticides enable food to be produced in sufficient quantities to meet the needs of millions of people. However, from time to time these benefits can turn into bad results with some disadvantages, especially the toxic side effects of the chemical compounds used. Exposure to these compounds can have effects ranging from sudden death to a gradual process of chemical carcinogenesis. There are three stages in chemical carcinogenesis. These; They are classified as initiation, promotion and progression. Each of these stages is characterized by morphological and biochemical changes and consists of genetic and/or epigenetic changes. Genetic modifications include: mutations in genes that control cell proliferation, cell death, and DNA repair; namely, mutations in proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Epigenetic factors, which are also thought to have a non-genetic character, may also contribute to carcinogenesis through epigenetic mechanisms that silence gene expression.