Humans today are exposed to a plethora of chemicals in food whether of anthropogenic or natural origin, and public-health agencies have developed risk-assessment methods to derive safe levels of exposure and to prevent adverse health effects. This review highlights analytical techniques used to measure chemical contaminants in food, how human exposure to such contaminants is assessed, and how contamination and exposure are combined with biological (toxicological) effects for risk assessment. We illustrate the whole process using recent examples of importance in public health and give perspectives on the future.