Abstract
A specific safety concern is the possibility that a dietary supplement could be contaminated with heavy metals. This research was undertaken to investigate the daily exposure levels of heavy metals in dietary supplements available in the UAE and to explore the factors associated with the contamination of dietary supplements with heavy metals. A total of 277 dietary supplement samples were collected from the UAE market and prepared for the analysis of selected heavy metal contamination. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to determine the presence of heavy metals. The average daily intake of cadmium was 0.73 μg [95% CI 0.61–0.85], compared to the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 6 μg; the daily intake of lead was 0.85 μg [95% CI 0.62–1.07], compared to the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 20 μg; and the daily intake of arsenic was 0.67 μg [95% CI 0.57–0.78], compared to the acceptable daily intake of 10 μg. Although the dietary supplements available in the UAE have low levels of heavy metal contamination, numerous individuals are consuming a number of different dietary supplements every day and thereby may experience a cumulative level of toxic exposure. Dietary supplements formulations (Categories), dosage forms and country of origin are strong determents of heavy metal contamination in dietary supplements products.
Highlights
A specific safety concern is the possibility that a dietary supplement could be contaminated with heavy metals
They are placed in the category of dietary supplements in the USA and come under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); they come under the jurisdiction of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Europe, where they are classified as food supplements; in Canada, Health Canada is responsible for monitoring, and they are classified as natural health products
This research aims to carry out an evaluation of the heavy metal content/contamination in dietary supplements offered in the UAE market and to determine the significant factors associated with such content which could be help the regulatory bodies in structuring a risk assessment module for the safety of dietary supplements
Summary
A specific safety concern is the possibility that a dietary supplement could be contaminated with heavy metals. In accordance with the legislation in the United Arab Emirates, manufacturers of dietary supplements are legally required to provide documented proof that the products they produce are manufactured in a safe way and are tested to ensure they are pure and of a satisfactory quality Despite such rules, a myriad of cases have arisen in which health supplements that have later been found to contain hazardous heavy metals have been sold on the open market[23]. Dietary supplements have been removed from sale and recalled after tests have found they were contaminated with microorganisms or prescription drugs[28,29,30] Another significant challenge that impacts the safety of DS concerns the fact that many of them are manufactured in different countries. This research aims to carry out an evaluation of the heavy metal content/contamination in dietary supplements offered in the UAE market and to determine the significant factors associated with such content which could be help the regulatory bodies in structuring a risk assessment module for the safety of dietary supplements
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