**1. Introduction**

Heavy metals are high density elements; generally non-degradable and available in earth's crust [1, 2]. Heavy metals are present in various food stuffs viz., cake, beans, fish, meat, fruits, herbal drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages [3]. Heavy metal contamination in foods is presently a global concern for scientists. Metal contamination in food staffs are mainly associated with global industrialization and dayby-day increase in environmental pollution (air, soil, water). The raw materials used during processing of food may also be one reason for metal contamination in foods [3, 4].

The acceptability of any food and beverage depends on the toxicity load of heavy metals present in it owing to the nutritional values [5]. In other words, the quality of foods and beverages can be judged based on the content of heavy metals found in them [5–7]. Heavy metals available in our surrounding environment are: cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), molybdenum (Mo), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), gold (Au), indium (In), lithium (Li), platinum (Pt), vanadium (V), etc. [8, 9]. Out of these metals, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Se, Zn, Na, K, Mn are essential for human life's and other are non-essential. Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Se, Zn Na, K, Mn are considered to be essential heavy metals only if the exposure of the metals are within Maximum Permissible Limits (MPL) provided by World Health Organization (WHO), International Organization of Grapes and Wine (OIV), United States Environment Protection Agencies for risk Assessment (USEPA), Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives etc. [10– 13]. The excessive intake of essential metals are also toxic for human exposure. For instance, excess exposure of Fe causes Parkinson's disease, high intake of Mn causes Mninduced Parkinsonism, high level of Zn deals with impairment of growth and reproduction etc. [5, 13]. Instead, a small quantity of non-essential metals like Pb, As, Hg, Sb etc. are found in foods and beverages; they are very toxic. Therefore, evaluation of acceptance or ignorance range of heavy metal has an important influence before exposure to humans. EDI (Estimated Daily Intake), RDI (Recommended Daily Allowance), MPL (Maximum Permissible Limits), THQ (Target Hazard Quotient), TCR (Target Cancer Risk) are some monitoring parameters for detection of permissible limits of heavy metals by JECFA (Joint Food and Agriculture Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives), WHO (World Health Organization), USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agencies) etc. [10, 14, 15]. These monitoring parameters tells estimated intake metal to human within maximum prescribed limit, daily limit of metal exposure, cancer causing risk etc. respectively [5, 13].

Carcinogenic effects associated with heavy metal- toxicity and various other health related issues vary from metal to metal since physico-chemical properties and features of each metal differ from each other [16]. The present chapter focuses on various evaluation parameters for metal exposure (as proposed by WHO, OIV, USEPA. SON and FAO/WHO), modern analytical method for metal detections. Various advanced remedies of heavy metals remediation from food stuffs are also summarized in the chapter.
