Lead exposure from food: the German LExUKon project

Abstract

Lead is a highly toxic contaminant with food being the major source of exposure for the general public. The second German food consumption survey (Nationale Verzehrsstudie II – NVS II) with about 20 000 participants (15 371 for dietary history interviews used for this study) allowed for an updated exposure assessment for the German population. Based on these comprehensive data, information on consumption of 545 individual food items by the German population was generated. Lead concentrations in food were compiled from the German food monitoring programme, European countries’ authority programmes and the published literature, covering the years from 2000 to 2009, and were multiplied with consumption data to obtain estimates of lead intake from food. Average lead concentrations per main food group were highest for meat (including offal), followed by fish (including seafood), vegetables and cereals. Due to high consumption, beverages contributed most to the intake of the general public, followed by main groups vegetables, fruits & nuts and cereals. Lead intake from food was estimated to be 0.53 and 0.72 µg kg–1 bw and day for average and high-end consumers, respectively. This is close to (average consumers) respectively above (high-end consumers) a reference value derived from a recent health risk evaluation performed by EFSA, using the benchmark approach. Uncertainties in these estimates pertain to the influence of values below the limit of quantification and some foods not considered due to lacking occurrence data. In conclusion, the estimated lead intake of the German population from food is still close to health-based reference values. Further efforts to reduce lead intake are required.