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Food

Food

Hunting, fishing and growing your own food are great ways to stay active, enjoy the outdoors and support your family’s nutrition. When people eat fish, wild game or home‑grown produce that have absorbed contaminants, they may be exposed as well.

Factors such as how much of a contaminant a person contacts (the dose), how long they are in contact with it (the duration) and a person’s sensitivity (e.g. overall health, genetics, age) help determine whether contact with any contaminant could affect health.

Many foods contain very low levels of environmental chemicals. Those low doses are not expected to cause health problems. Higher doses, which can occur when animals or plants live in more contaminated areas, may pose greater risks.

Table covered in a variety of healthy looking food

Michigan has over 11,000 lakes, streams and rivers. Unfortunately, some of those water bodies have been polluted with chemicals including PCBs, dioxins and mercury. Check out MDHHS’s Eat Safe Fish Program to learn more about eating safe fish.

If you want to learn more about contaminants that might be in wild game, fish and garden foods, the resources below can help. Many of these resources also include steps you can take to lower your exposure to these possible hazards.

Not all chemicals that may be found in food are listed here. If you are interested in understanding health effects associated with a chemical that is not listed here, call your healthcare provider or our Environmental Health Hotline at 800-648-6942, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. If you believe you are in immediate danger, call 911 or contact Poison Control at 800-222-1222

Common acronyms on these pages include:

  • ATSDR – Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
  • CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • EGLE – Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
  • EPA – United States Environmental Protection Agency.
  • FDA – Food and Drug Administration.
  • LEO – Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
  • MDHHS – Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Home food: Potential Hazards

  • Coliform Bacteria (E. coli)

    How they may enter food: Coliform bacteria are a group of microbes that live in soil, plants and the intestines of people and animals. They are not usually harmful themselves. Yet, their presence can signal that other disease‑causing germs may be around. One important member of this group is Escherichia coli (E. coli). While many types of E. coli are harmless, some strains can cause illness. Coliforms, including E. coli, can get into home food when produce comes into contact with contaminated soil, irrigation water or animal droppings, or when food is handled with unwashed hands, tools or surfaces. Sometimes E. coli affects a large number of agricultural or food products. In those cases, the USDA will recall affected food products. Visit the US Department of Agriculture’s webpage, Recalls and Public Health Alerts, for more information on recalls. To learn more, review the following resources:

  • Dioxins, Furans, PBBs, PBDEs and PCBs

    How they may enter food: Dioxins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are long‑lasting environmental contaminants that can be created as unintentional byproducts of industrial processes. Polybrominated biphenyl (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame‑retardant chemicals that were intentionally manufactured and also break down very slowly once in the environment. These chemicals can build up in the environment and in the fat of animals over time. They can enter food when plants or animals are exposed to contaminated soil, water or air. Due to these chemicals building up in fatty tissues, people are most often exposed by eating foods like fish, meat, dairy products or eggs.

    In Michigan, there are fish and wild game consumption guidelines for dioxins and PCBs in several areas around the state. In addition, higher levels of dioxins, furans and PCBs have been found in areas along the Tittabawassee River downstream of Midland and along the Saginaw River. To learn more, review the following resources:

  • Metals

    How they may enter food: Many of the metals below occur naturally in soil and rock. Those metals can sometimes get into food that grows in those places. Metals can also enter food when crops are grown in contaminated soil or water, when fish and animals take up metals from their environment or when food becomes contaminated during processing or storage. Some metals, like iron, zinc, copper and manganese, are needed for the body to function properly. Others — including lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium — have no beneficial role in the body and can be harmful to health. To learn more about certain chemicals, review the following resources:

    • Aluminum: Aluminum is naturally present in water, air and soil. This means small amounts can enter food as plants grow or as animals eat plants and drink water. Aluminum can also get into food during processing, cooking or storage. This is especially true when aluminum-containing additives, cookware or packaging are used. Learn more at:
    • Arsenic: If soil around your home has arsenic in it, food grown in that soil can become contaminated. This can happen when plants take up arsenic through their roots or when soil sticks to the outside of the produce and it is eaten unwashed. Learn more about arsenic and how to avoid it:
    • Cadmium: Cadmium can get into food when crops are grown in soil or irrigated with water that contains cadmium. Learn more at:
    • Lead: There is no safe level of lead, including in food. Lead can get into food in different ways depending on the type of food. For general information about lead, visit the Learn About Lead webpage Some common ways lead may enter food:
      • Home‑grown food: If soil around your home has lead  in it, food grown in that soil can become contaminated. This can happen when plants take up lead from the soil or when soil sticks to the outside of the produce and it is eaten unwashed. Learn more at the MDHHS webpage on Lead in Soil.
      • Wild game: When lead bullets are used, small lead fragments can remain in the meat. Learn more about avoiding lead in wild game at the MDHHS webpage Eat Safe Wild Game.
      • Imported foods, spices and processed foods made with contaminated spices: Some foods produced outside the U.S. have been found to contain lead. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has increased monitoring due to these concerns. You can sign up for alerts at the FDA webpage, Alerts, Advisories & Safety Information. The CDC also provides information at About Lead in Foods, Cosmetics and Medicines.
      • Cookware and dinnerware: Some imported cookware made from aluminum, brass or aluminum alloys may leach lead into food. Learn more at the FDA page on Lead in Food and Foodwares.
    • Elemental Mercury: Elemental mercury (or “quicksilver”) is a naturally occurring element that is toxic to humans and animals. Mercury can be released into the air through industrial processes and natural events, like volcanic activity. As it moves through the environment, elemental mercury can be converted into methylmercury. Methylmercury is  a more toxic form that builds up in fish and shellfish – which is the main way mercury gets into food. Learn more about the health effects of mercury and how to reduce mercury exposure at the MDHHS webpage, Mercury and at Frequently Asked Questions About Mercury (Spanish, Arabic). Learn more about mercury in bought and caught fish and how to minimize your exposure at the Eat Safe Fish webpage.

  • Organochlorine Pesticides

    How they may enter food: Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are human‑made chemicals used to kill pests such as insects, fungi and weeds. Because they break down very slowly, OCPs can remain in soil, water and air long after they are used or released. Plants and animals can take up these chemicals from the environment, allowing OCPs to enter the food chain. Learn more about OCPs at the factsheet, Frequently Asked Questions About OCPs (Spanish, Arabic) and in the MDHHS Eat Safe Fish Guides.

  • PFAS

    How they may enter food: Per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of human‑made chemicals. They are used in many consumer products and industrial processes, including some types of food packaging and non‑stick cookware. PFAS can enter food when these products contact food directly or when PFAS released into soil and water are taken up by plants, fish or animals. Learn more about PFAS in food at the following links:

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