Other physicochemical tests

The Food Sanitation Laboratory conducts inspections of farmed seafood, chicken eggs, etc. based on the monitoring inspection of residual harmful substances in livestock and marine products notified by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Antibiotics are antibacterial substances produced by microorganisms and suppress the growth of other microorganisms. It generally works on a limited type of bacteria, but recently it has become a problem because resistant bacteria that do not work with antibiotics occur. On the other hand, synthetic antibacterial agents are chemically synthesized antibacterial agents.
Antibiotics and synthetic antibacterial agents are used as pharmaceuticals and feed additives in livestock products, marine products, etc. for the purpose of treating, preventing and promoting growth of diseases. In order to prevent adverse effects on our health by eating livestock and marine products using these, the Food Sanitation Law sets the residual standard values for antibiotics and synthetic antibacterial agents for each food category. .
The Food Sanitation Laboratory inspects the items listed in the table below.

In addition to antibacterial agents, there are drugs used as pharmaceuticals in livestock products, marine products, etc.
The Food Sanitation Laboratory inspects the items listed in the table below.

In recent years, a wide variety of chemical substances have been produced and used due to the development of chemical and industrial technologies. This has made it possible for us to realize a comfortable living environment. On the other hand, when these chemical substances flow into rivers and seas, the seafood living there is contamination, and the chemicals used in the food manufacturing process are mixed into the food, resulting in the problem of entering the mouth of consumers.
In addition, chemical substances produced and used in the past are not decomposed in the natural world and remain in the environment, which accumulate in the organs and tissues of seafood, and eating them may affect human health.
The Food Sanitation Laboratory conducts inspections for the following items:

Mercury is used as catalysts in chemical factories, etc., and is used in blood pressure monitors and thermometers.
In the case of Minamata disease and the Agano River mercury poisoning incident that occurred in the past, inorganic mercury contained in wastewater from chemical factories flowed into rivers and the sea, and organic mercury (methyl mercury) by the action of bacteria in the water and bottom mud. It was converted to methyl mercury, accumulated in fish, concentrated, and consumed by humans to cause poisoning.
Poisoning symptoms include paralysis of limbs, language disorders, and central nervous system disorders such as impaired vision.

Production was discontinued in 1972, but until then it was used in transformers and condensers, pressure-sensitive paper, paints, lubricants, etc., and it is said that a total of about 57,000 tons were manufactured.
Poisonous symptoms of PCB in case of Kanemi oil disease include reduced vision, acne-like rash, hepatoid size, and increased triglycerides.
Samples collected at the Food Sanitation Laboratory are sent to Yokohama City Inst. of Health for testing.

Eating foods that contain high concentrations of histamine can cause food poisoning that causes allergic reactions such as urticaria and itching.
Histamine is made by the action of bacterial enzymes from histidine, one of the essential amino acids.
For this reason, blue fish (saba, saury, sardines, horse mackerel, etc.) and red fish (tuna, kajiki, bonito, etc.) containing a lot of histidine, and these processed products are often reported as causes of food poisoning.
Histamine is not decomposed in cooking, so it does not disappear when boiled or baked. Therefore, in order to prevent food poisoning due to histamine, it is necessary to prevent histamine from being produced. In other words, it is important to heat enough before bacteria grow, or to store them at a temperature that prevents bacteria from growing.
At present, fish are often refrigerated and frozen immediately after being caught, so in the case of sashimi that is not heated before eating, when carrying it at the time of purchase or leaving it on the dining table after purchase, etc. Putting at room temperature for a long time may cause food poisoning.
Even for foods to be heated, temperature control is important, such as not leaving them at room temperature before and after processing such as making fillets before and after heating or soaking in a seasoning solution.