More studies are needed on the cumulative health effects of different man-made toxins in foodstuffs, said the Food Standards Agency (FSA), following the release of a study which showed traces of chemicals linked to cancer in a wide range of products.
While research by the WWF - formerly the World Wildlife Fund - showed that individual levels of contamination in 27 foods were below legal limits and did not pose a health concern, it "raised issues about the release of chemicals into the environment", said Dr Andrew Wadge, the FSA's chief scientist.
The FSA has now called for a report on the "cocktail effect" of such contaminants on human health.
"The advice is, at this level, there is no interaction, but we are not content with that," said Wadge.
He said the results would be reported next spring, while research into the methodology of risk assessment of "additive effects" would also be published next year. The European Food Standards Agency is also known to be carrying out work in this area.
Meanwhile, the European Commission last month set new maximum limits for certain contaminants in food, with future limits for fusarium toxins to be discussed at a workshop expected to be held in November. The new limits, to be applied in all EU member states, cover aflatoxins, ochratoxin A (found in products such as beer, meat, spices and dried fruit), patulin, nitrate, dioxins and PCBs.
The WWF study, Chain Contamination - The Food Link, is part of its 10-year campaign to reduce chemical contamination of the environment.
It found chemical contaminants, albeit at safe levels, in all food items tested, which in the UK included diet staples such as brown bread, butter, cheddar cheese, eggs, bacon, sausages, chicken breast, smoked salmon, tuna and fish fingers.