Assessment of genotoxic and mutagenic effects of food products by bioassay methods

The current state of studies on application and safety of food additives in various technologies for food production is examined. Considerable attention should be given to studies dedicated to analysis of food safety criteria due to a possibility of appearance of adverse consequences for human health and the trend towards increasing life quality. Special emphasis is placed on such parameters as genotoxicity and mutagenicity. It is shown that the most rapid and convenient tool for complex monitoring of product toxicity can be the bioassay procedure. Based on the review of the literature on bioassays for edible meat and meat products, canned foods, carbonated soft drinks, beer, milk and milk containing products as well as seasonings, the authors show that above mentioned products had the cyto- and genotoxic potential when tested on animal and human cell cultures, microorganisms and plants. With that, it was found that a list of relevant publications is quite small despite a significant growth in scientific research dedicated to food toxicity assessment using bioassays. A review on the conducted research on assessment of genotoxic and mutagenic effects of foods by bioassay methods will make it possible to extend the understanding of the processes and mechanisms of this toxicity and form more rational concept of consumption.