Honey health risk in Brazil related to new threats: emerging chemical residues and contaminants

Abstract

This narrative literature review deals with the honey, its context as a product of varied uses and with significant socio-economic relevance, aiming to describe some emerging chemical residues and contaminants and their aspects related to Health Surveillance. Honey is a substance that, beyond being used as food since the beginning of human civilization, also has therapeutic and pharmacothecnical applications. Brazil is among the major world producers and exporters of honey and this production play a relevant socio-economic role in the country. Like other products of animal origin, honey is subject to the presence of residues of substances used in the protection of swarms and contaminants from the environment. Despite the presence of substances in honey with potential impact on health is expected by health agencies, it is required to update as to which substances should or should not be monitored. This review lists examples of classes of substances that are not currently monitored, considered as “emerging” for not being regulated properly in Brazil and in many parts of the world. For the emerging contaminants covered here, scientific publications with national data are scarce or non-existent when it comes to honey, showing that new scientific knowledge production is needed in this area. It is recommended further study of the occurrence of quinolones, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, grayanotoxins and substances used in the production of polymers in honey in Brazil, so that health risks from the consumption of honey containing these substances are known and minimized or eliminated.