Exploration of the development of a food safety risk index system for chemical contamination of aquatic products

Abstract

The escalating global demand for aquatic products has heightened safety concerns, especially regarding chemical contamination. While rarely causing acute food poisoning, long-term ingestion of contaminated products may induce chronic toxicity and risks of cancer, birth defects, and genetic mutations. Thus, a robust, systematic risk evaluation framework for chemical contamination in aquatic products is crucial for bolstering food safety oversight. This study constructs a framework for evaluating chemical contamination in aquatic products using the enhanced Delphi method and group discussions. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) determines indicator weights, while comprehensive index and multiplicative synthesis methods calculate risk indices. The developed system is applied to data from Guangzhou city as an example, calculating annual risk indices and grades, assessing food safety status and validating the index method. The final risk evaluation index system comprises 5 first-level indicators, 13 s-level indicators, and 13 chemical pollutants, covering hazards, vulnerabilities, monitoring, consumption patterns, public sentiment and supervision. The weights of "hazards" and "exposure risk of chemical factors" are particularly prominent, indicating their key impact on the total risk. The results show that the total risk index for chemical pollution in Guangzhou's aquatic products has been on an upward trend since 2017, peaking in 2020. Over the six years, the pollutants with higher risk values were mainly heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, which are closely related to the developed economy in Guangzhou. The index system and calculation method established in this study prove scientific and feasible, providing insights for food safety analysis and improving quality control to reduce risks.