Problems of Forensic Sciences 2015 Vol. 103 (CIII) 208-218
FOREIGN SUBSTANCES IN FOOD IN FORENSIC ANALYSES
Teresa LECH, Wojciech LECHOWICZ
Institute of Forensic Research, Kraków, Polska
Streszczenie
285 expert evaluations of food (alone or together with biological material) were carried out in the years 2001–2014 at the Institute of Forensic Research in Kraków (IFR). In 192 of the cases (67.4%), a foreign substance was found in the questioned food on the basis of a complete toxicological analysis. In the present paper, the kinds of articles of food contaminated with organic poisons (pesticides, medicines, drugs of abuse, detergents and solvents), and inorganic poisons (metallic compounds, elemental mercury, caustic alkalis, mineral acids, cyanides, nitrites, nitrates, sodium hypochlorite, fluorides, and alum) have been presented. Non-volatile organic poisons (pesticides, medicines, drugs of abuse) occurred in food more often (n = 94) than inorganic (n = 62) or volatile organic (solvents) and detergents (n = 36), and displayed great variability (n = 54 different substances). The frequency of contamination of food by medicines or drugs of abuse ranked alongside the frequency of contamination by pesticides (in previous years, contamination by pesticides had dominated). Most often, contamination concerned drinks (n = 166). Cases in which intentional intoxication was suspected prevailed.
Słowa kluczowe
Food; Foreign substances; Poisons; Forensic expert report.