Final answer:
Food stored in metallic containers can lead to toxic metal poisoning, especially with acidic or sulfuric foods that leach heavy metals. It's essential to use food-safe containers and be cautious of biomagnification in higher trophic level species such as swordfish.
Step-by-step explanation:
Food that can cause toxic metal poisoning when stored in metallic containers includes acidic foods such as tomatoes or fruit juices, as they can leach metals like lead, antimony, and cadmium from the containers. Moreover, foods high in sulfur compounds, such as garlic, can react with copper, leading to copper toxicity. Foods that may also contain or accumulate heavy metals are those exposed to contaminated environments, such as fish from polluted waters, which can lead to mercury buildup. It's vital to store food in safe, food-grade containers to prevent contamination. Additionally, products such as ceramic pots with lead-based glaze should be avoided. The consumption of food contaminated with toxic metals can lead to health issues including damaging the nervous system, brain, respiratory system, and other organs.
Care must be taken to reduce the potential toxicity of these metals in human consumption, which partly involves using appropriate containers for food storage and preparation. If a person is concerned about biomagnification of toxins, they would want to avoid eating higher trophic level species like swordfish, where mercury tends to accumulate to toxic levels due to biomagnification.