Risk Assessment and Determination of Heavy Metals in Home Meal Replacement Products by Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Direct Mercury Analyzer.

Hee-Jeong Hwang,Gyo-Ha Hwang,Yong-Yeon Kim,So-Min Ahn,Han-Seung Shin

doi:10.3390/foods11040504

Abstract

This study quantified six heavy metals (Pb, Cd, As, Sn, Hg, and Me-Hg) in home meal replacement products. Satisfactory linearity (R2 > 0.99), recovery (80.65–118.02%), limits of detection (0.02–2.81 μg/kg), limits of quantification (0.05–8.51 μg/kg), accuracy (80.49–119.87%), precision (0.26–14.93%), standard uncertainty (0.082–0.321%) and relative standard uncertainty (0.084–0.320%) of the six heavy metals were obtained. The average concentration of the six heavy metals was 8.87 μg/kg. Heavy metal concentrations were converted to food intake data of 0.009 μg/kg to recalculate the 95th percentile food intake data (g/day) of individual heavy metals. These were then divided by age group to evaluate the average exposure to heavy metals and determine the 95th percentile of exposure from daily intake and for the whole population, of home meal replacement products. The chronic daily intake amount of six heavy metals was 1.60 × 10−2 μg/kg/day. Based on total chronic daily intake values, the risk and margin of exposure of each of the heavy metals was 9.13 × 107, demonstrating that intake associated with home meal replacement products is negligible.

Highlights

In addition to food intake through home cooking, domestic eating patterns have diversified into the consumption of various processed foods, consumption through food service establishments, and consumption through group catering establishments [1]
In light of the published results on heavy metals in processed foods containing fatty ingredients, our results suggest that home meal replacements (HMRs) products contain lower amounts of heavy metals
It was proven that this analysis method is a convenient, fast, and reliable process for measuring trace elements and heavy metals in HMRs

Summary

Introduction

In addition to food intake through home cooking, domestic eating patterns have diversified into the consumption of various processed foods, consumption through food service establishments, and consumption through group catering establishments [1]. In most developed countries, the time to cook at home is decreasing and the frequency of eating out at restaurants or consuming home meal replacements (HMRs) is increasing [2]. HMRs are processed foods that can replace the main course of a meal at home and require minimal preparation prior to consumption [3]. The amount of harmful pollutants generated during, and remaining in food after the manufacturing, processing or cooking of HMR food is very small, the problem of risks associated with these pollutants is attracting much attention from the public as they are consumed throughout life. The media has raised the issue of food safety regarding various harmful pollutants generated during manufacturing and processing, raising public anxiety about food and increasing consumer distrust [5]. This study intends to focus on heavy metals that can be introduced into food materials through various routes in HMR products, which are composed of various food groups

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Conclusion