In the first part of the study, there will be an extensive screening of food on the Belgian market to obtain recent data for levels of benzene and possibly other volatile compounds in food. This information will be used at a later stage of the project to carry out an intake estimate for the Belgian population. In addition, there will attempt to gain a deeper insight into the origins of benzene in food. Via mechanistic studies and, starting from the analysis results, the most important routes along which benzene will hit in the food chain are mapped and there will be examined in detail the role played hereby benzoate. Proposals for remediation will be elaborated.