Scientific-technical progress, which has brought great benefits to humanity, has also led to some serious problems. One of the most important of these problems is the food problem, which is due to the fact that people have not enough food. This is not just about supplying people with quantitative nutritional products, but also about the quality, value and safety of food produced.
All issues related to the quality problem and the quality of public control system, including the quality of food products, are extremely important in the current period. Every civilized, developed state should take care of the health of its population, should ensure its food security, implement special measures in this field.
In this regard, the Azerbaijani state is trying to ensure the food security of the population of the country and every citizen in accordance with international law. Therefore, it is not a coincidence that in the Republic of Azerbaijan, this issue is focused on the state level. Evidence of this is the fact that over the last 10 years were issued some important state laws and special decrees (for example, the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Foods, Baku, 1999, etc.). These laws and decrees determine the legal basis for the organization of food products quality control, production and market in the Republic of Azerbaijan, and ensuring the food security of the population.
After the independence of our country, much of the demand for food products related to the disintegration of the previous centralized multilateral economic relations and transition to a market economy is satisfied at the expense of products that are imported from foreign countries. On the other hand, the population of the republic and entrepreneurs have a great opportunity freely produce products and sell their products at a free market.
In order to ensure the safety of food products, the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan «On Food Products» of November 18, 1999 has been adopted. This law establishes the legal basis for the management, production and marketing of foodstuffs in the Republic of Azerbaijan and ensuring the food security of the population. According to Article 5 of this law, the provision of quality and safety of food products, their production, transportation, storage, packaging, labeling and sales is implemented through technical, ecological, sanitary, veterinary and phytosanitary standards, norms, rules and requirements.
Various toxic substances can be accumulated in foodstuffs, which can lead to poisoning such products by violating their environmental safety. If there is a suspicion of deliberately releasing such products or attempting to poison people with such toxic food products, for examination toxic testing methods are used. Chemical-toxicological investigations are carried out to determine whether toxic substances are present in the products, as well as to determine the amount of toxic substances and quantities.
The specimens provided for this are examined by using appropriate examination techniques for the toxic substance that is suspected to be poisoned in laboratory conditions, and the expert opinion is given.
Radiometric examination methods are used when determining the contamination of food products by radioactive substances is needed. When needed, products such as meat, milk, honey, etc., the biochemical examination methods may be used to obtain the information needed to determine the quality of the products.
Food security is one of the most actual issues in our daily lives. Because in the consumer market of our country there are often poor quality food products, especially meat, chicken and chicken products, fish and fish products, milk and dairy products, flour and flour products. Of course, the health of all of us depends on the cleanness, freshness and quality of these products.
Unfortunately, individual cops and trading entities using various means, аeed the people brought from abroad and produced in our country poor-quality food products without any quality control.
Imported from abroad in Azerbaijan, as well as produced in our country meat products, despite their decorated packaging, their exact composition, introduced in their structure chemical agents (e.g., preservatives, flavor and color additives, emulsifiers, etc.) remain unknown. Because, they are not labeled. Whereas, most of these chemicals are harmful to the human body and may cause certain diseases and poisonings. Such cases are more common in sausage, sauces and canned food. For example, the shelf life for cooked sausages and sauces is up to 48 hours at 4–8 ° C and up to 72 hours for smoked sausages. However, such products produced abroad despite the fact that in hot summer days remain in the streets for months without a refrigerator, under the scorching rays of the sun, do not deteriorate because of the preservatives in their composition.
The type, name, and quantity of such additives can be determined as a result of laboratory tests through special devices.
Research on food safety, particularly heavy metals and toxic substances in foodstuffs, is of great ecological importance.
The benefits of food produced by ecological methods is not directly known in the final product due to its appearance in the final product due to their environmental and environmental quality. If the consumer wishes to support environmentally sound and sustainable production by the decision to obtain an ecological product, other confirming forms of the disclosure of the quality of these products are required. Scientific researches on definition of consumption and consumption of heavy metals, toxic and radioactive elements in the composition of these foods according to modern ecological requirements of high importance for human health are carried out in the Department of Ecological Chemistry.
Imported in our country and produced foodstuffs, the samples of fruit and vegetable samples collected at different times, in different seasons for the deep detection of toxic elements and radiation safety of these foods in special laboratory devices at the Laboratory of «Ecological chemistry» of BSU and at the Institute of Radiation Problems of ANAS ecological radioactivity and radiation safety of these foods have been identified. Based on the results of the researches, the ecological and economically more effective proposals for food products have been prepared.