Acknowledged and Emerging Contaminants in Food and Natural Supplements

Dear Colleagues,

Product authentication can be defined as the verification of conformity between a product and its label, which may omit critical information or conceal illicit practices concerning origin, composition, or manufacturing processes. Despite the increasing number of fraudulent cases, a comprehensive legal framework for upholding consumer protection and guarantee authenticity across global supply chains remains limited. Adulteration not only undermines market integrity but also introduces contaminants that pose both immediate and long-term health risks.

This Special Issue encompasses the application of advanced analytical methodologies, combined with supervised statistical approaches and artificial intelligence, for the authentication of food products, including herbs, spices, and dietary supplements, from diverse global contexts. Emphasis is placed on multidisciplinary contributions that integrate product profiling at the molecular level, detecting emerging and acknowledged contaminants, performing risk assessment, and carrying out in vitro toxicity studies that could contribute to consumer safety and regulatory development.

Dr. Dana-Alina Magdas
Guest Editor

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