Exposure matters: why the dose makes the poison
Science on the Menu: A Food Safety Podcast by EFSA
European Food Safety Authority
0.0 • 0 Ratings
🗓️ 15 October 2025
⏱️ 19 minutes
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Summary
Apple seeds contain cyanide, a deadly poison. And yet, eating an apple will not kill you. In fact, it’s considered a healthy snack! That’s because it’s not just about what’s toxic but how much of it you are exposed to. In this episode, we take a closer look at the differences between hazards and risks and what that means for dangers that may be lurking in our food and drinks. We will also discuss how different groups may be affected, from the youngest to eldest, and why bodyweight is so important. Join us as we explore the impact our eating habits have on our exposure to chemicals and contaminants.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | An apple may contain in the seeds, some, let's say, substances, which can release cyanide, |
| 0:06.5 | okay? A very toxic substance, extremely toxic. The point is that those chemicals are present |
| 0:12.9 | in such small amounts in the seeds are also, would really require us to eat the seeds, |
| 0:18.4 | to chew them very thoroughly, etc. |
| 0:27.3 | That actually in the end, the way we consume the apple, these seeds do not present any risk to us. |
| 0:40.3 | Science on the menu, a podcast by the European Food Safety Authority. Sharks in the ocean sounds scary, right? But here is the thing. The sharks are actually the hazard. The risk, this depends on whether you're actually in the water. The same thing applies |
| 0:56.0 | when we think about what we eat and this is where dietary exposure assessment comes in. To |
| 1:02.0 | help us understand the better what this is, we're joined today by Bruno Dujartin, who is the |
| 1:08.0 | team leader of EFSA's analysis team. Welcome, Bruno. |
| 1:11.5 | Hi, thank you. It was very nice to have you. |
| 1:14.4 | No, well, it's very nice to be here. |
| 1:16.4 | Great. So we dive straight in. Can you please give us a definition of what is exposure assessment? |
| 1:22.3 | Well, a very specific single definition. I mean, might be difficult to elaborate, |
| 1:27.1 | but the |
| 1:27.8 | concept is that we basically try to estimate the amount and the frequency to which |
| 1:35.0 | we are exposed to substances that may be of concern for for human health and well |
| 1:41.5 | in our case in EFSA, we mainly focus on dietary exposure. |
| 1:45.1 | Why do we do it? |
| 1:46.0 | Why is it important? |
| 1:47.8 | Well, I think the point is that very often when we talk about food safety, traditionally, |
| 1:53.2 | there has always been a very strong focus on toxicology. |
| 1:56.8 | And I think it's not only about toxicology. |
... |
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