Assessment of heavy metals and fungi contamination of spices available in Saudi Arabian food cuisines

Abstract

The study investigates the elemental composition and fungal contamination of commonly utilized spices and herbs, namely Turmeric, Cloves, Black pepper, Latency/cumin, Ring/legume, Cinnamon, Coriander, Ginger, Indian saffron, Fenugreek, Fennel flower, Aniseed, and Cayenne pepper. The presence of minerals and poisons elements, including zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb), was examined. The concentration of the poisonous elements ranged from 44.1 ± 1.3 to 231±41 µgg−1 for Fe, 3.8 ± 5.9 to 17.3 ± 3.1 µgg−1 for Zn, 1.3 ± 0.2 to 9.3 ± 0.4 µgg−1 for Cu, 10.4 ± 1.1 µgg−1 for Mn, and 219±2.1 µgg−1 for Pb; Cd was below the level of detection. The study also assessed fungal contamination, revealing black pepper as the most contaminated sample (87.6 %), followed by saffron (76.2 %), Cayenne pepper (72.1 %), Coriander (65.0 %), and cumin (64.4 %). Conversely, fenugreek (52.5 %) and cinnamon (51.6 %) exhibited lower contamination rates. Aspergillus flavus was predominant in white pepper (70.0 %) and black pepper (34.0 %), while ginger showed a diverse range of fungal species, including A. niger, A. flavus, and Rhizopus stolonifera (50 %). Notably, cinnamon was found highly contaminated with Aspergillus flavus (40 %), Aspergillus niger (40 %), and Rhizopus stolonifera (40 %), while legumes were contaminated with Aspergillus niger (40 %), Penicillium arenicola (40 %), and Penicillium oxalicum (40 %). This study highlights potential health risks associated with spice consumption, particularly in large quantities, due to mycotoxin contamination. The findings emphasize the importance of monitoring and implementing stringent quality control measures in the spice industry to ensure food safety and mitigate health hazards associated with elemental and fungal contamination. By combining scientific rigor with a focus on local context, this research strives to make a meaningful impact on public health, culinary traditions, and the broader global conversation on food safety.