Consumer Concern Research Articles

Safety and efficacy of feed additives obtained from the fruit of Pimpinella anisum L.: anise oil for use in poultry and horses and anise tincture for use in poultry, dogs, cats and horses (FEFANA asbl).

Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of anise oil and anise tincture obtained from the fruit of Pimpinella anisum L., when used as sensory additives. The use of the anise oil at the proposed use level in complete feed of 1.9 mg/kg for laying hens and 5 mg/kg for horses was considered of low concern. The EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) had no safety concern when anise oil is used at the proposed use levels of 1.5 mg/kg for chickens for fattening and at 1.7 mg/kg for turkeys for fattening. The use of anise tincture at the proposed conditions of use was considered of low concern in dogs, cats, horses and laying hens, and of no concern in chickens for fattening. The use of the additives up to the highest level in feed which was considered of low or no concern for target animals was also expected to be of no concern for consumers. The additives under assessment should be considered as irritants to skin and eyes, and as dermal and respiratory sensitisers. Due to the high concentration of estragole (≥ 1%), anise oil is classified as suspected of causing genetic defects and of causing cancer and should be handled accordingly. When handling anise tincture, exposure of unprotected users to estragole may occur. Therefore, to reduce the risk, the exposure of the users should be minimised. The use of these additives in animal feed was not expected to pose a risk to the environment. Since the fruit of P. anisum and its preparations are recognised to flavour food and their function in feed would be the same, no further demonstration of efficacy was considered necessary.

Supplier Selection Based on Green Procurement of Agricultural Commodities of Cassava: Environmental Perspective From Jember Regency

Industrial developments and increasing consumer concern for the environment and the issue of environmentally sound industrial concepts have forced the industry to adjust the concept of green industries in every business, including in procurement, which is better known as green procurement. Supplier selection is an important decision-making problem to get suppliers who can increase the company's competitiveness. This research was conducted in Jember regency to evaluate and select cassava suppliers based on green procurement using the AHP method. The criteria used are 6 criteria, namely quality, technology capability, pollution control, environment management, green product, and green competence. Each criterion has sub-criteria between 3 or 4 sub-criteria. The number of sub criteria is used to determine the RI value. The RI value is used to calculate the CR value of each criterion. The results of data processing show that the highest CR value is in the technology capability criteria and the lowest CR value is in environment management. The highest hierarchical criterion value for environmental management criteria is 0.273, because the selection of cassava suppliers can be expected to pay attention to environmentally sound controls.

A study of the lipid profile of Coix seeds from four areas based on untargeted lipidomics combined with multivariate algorithms to enable tracing of their origin

The geographical traceability of food products is seen as a distinctive feature of the future of food which is increasingly becoming a concern for consumers. In this research, differences in the lipid composition of Coix seed samples from four major Chinese origins were investigated using non-targeted lipidomics. By multivariate statistical analysis, unsupervised PCA and OPLS-DA based differentiation between the four origins of Coix seed samples could be achieved. The OPLS-DA VIP > 1 screened 72 lipids out of 1211 lipids as potential markers to distinguish Coix seeds from different origins. In addition, the potential markers (SPH(d16:0), Cer(d18:2/20:0 + O) and PC(8:0e/8:0) were combined with statistical analysis algorithms to construct a discriminant function for rapid differentiation of Coix seed samples from different origins and a specific function for different origins with 100% discrimination accuracy. In general, a rapid and accurate method combining multivariate chemometrics and algorithms was developed based on untargeted lipidomics to determine the geographical origin of Coix seed samples, which can also be applied to other agricultural products.

Consumer behavior in choosing microplastic contaminated seafood across different countries: The role of cultural and attitudinal factors

Microplastics are polluting the oceans worldwide and being stored in popular seafood species. Although there is uncertainty about human health impacts from consuming such seafood, such uncertainty doesn’t limit consumer concern. Economic studies regarding these new pollutants are seriously lacking, although environmental research is becoming more common. One of the goals of this study is to fill this gap, and meanwhile we explore that culture, attitudinal factors, and willingness-to-pay (WTP) elicitation formats may be key determinants in consumer actions. Surveys were conducted in three countries that vary in their seafood consumption habits, environmental attitudes, and culture. The results show that while previous knowledge of microplastics differs widely, when presented with microplastic information, about 90% of the respondents in all countries viewed microplastics as harmful. Mean own WTP for microplastic safer salmon was 162%, 222%, and 150% above the usual price of salmon in the US, China, and Korea, respectively. While there exists significant differences in WTP across examined nations, commonalities exist. Namely, individuals with a peer-like-oneself outlook and collectivistic values displayed significantly higher WTP for microplastic safer salmon. Promoting an equal view of peers and emphasizing the group can lead to higher WTP for less microplastic contaminated food. Policies in educating the public for these new pollutants, supporting the seafood industry to help clean up waters near the seashore, and partnering with consumers in funding the pro-environmental behavior are called for.

PENGAWASAN CEMARAN RESIDU PESTISIDA PADA PANGAN SEGAR ASAL TUMBUHAN (PSAT) DI KABUPATEN MINAHASA

Fresh food from plant origin (PSAT) has characteristics which are susceptible to insect pests and plant diseases. Consequently, utilization of pesticides can be used as an alternative for farmers, as the result, PSAT is often polluted by pesticide residues. Factor of food quality and safety are the main problems in product improvement and marketing of PSAT, it must be a concern of farmers, traders and consumers for quality and health. Improper post-harvest handling, the use of fertilizers and pesticides that are not in accordance with regulations have brought Indonesian PSAT products to a low food safety guarantee status and a high level of contamination.The aims of this study is to determine the level of contamination of pesticide residues on cayenne pepper, curly chilies, tomatoes, cabbage, and celery. There were 30 types of pesticides tested, including: gamma chlordane; 2.4-DDT; 4.4-DDD; 4.4-DDE; 4.4-DDT; aldrin; alpha-BHC; beta-BHC; chlordane; chlorothalonyl; cis-chlordane; DDT; dichlorant; dieldrine; endosulfan; endosulfan I; endosulfan II; endosulfan sulfate; endrine; gamma-BHC; heptachlor; heptachlor epoxide; hexachlorbenzene; oxychlordane; quintozene; technazene; transchlordant; dicofol; methoxychlor; tolclofos-methyl in PSAT samples which obtained from groups of female farmers and traders in East Langowan, West Langowan and North Tondano. The results showed that all of the samples contributed the number of pesticide residues below the maximum pesticide residue limit (BMR), thereby PSAT relatively safe for consumption. In fact, women farmer groups and traders in East Langowan, West Langowan and North Tondano are aware on the dangers effect by using pesticides at every stage of agriculture which can cause pesticide residues may be remained in agricultural product which provide negative impact on human health and environment

Comparison of Activity of Commercial Protective Cultures and Thermophilic Lactic Acid Bacteria against Listeria monocytogenes: A New Perspective to Improve the Safety of Sardinian PDO Cheeses.

Listeria monocytogenes contamination that occurs during and post-processing of dairy products is a serious concern for consumers, and bioprotective cultures can be applied to control the growth of the pathogen in sheep milk cheeses. However, to respect specifications provided for protected designation of origin (PDO) cheeses, only autochthonous microorganisms can be used as bioprotective cultures in these products. This in vitro study aimed to evaluate thermophilic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from sheep milk as bio-preservative agents to control L. monocytogenes growth in PDO cheese. Results were compared with those obtained with a commercial protective culture (cPC) composed of a Lactiplantibacillus plantarum bacteriocin producer designed to inhibit L. monocytogenes growth in cheese. The in vitro antilisterial activities of n.74 autochthonous LAB and a cPC were tested against 51 L. monocytogenes strains using an agar well diffusion assay. In addition, 16S rRNA sequencing of LAB isolates with antilisterial activity was conducted and strains of Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. indicus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. sunkii, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis and Enterococcus faecalis were identified. In this study, 33.6% (74/220) bacterial strains isolated from milk had characteristics compatible with thermophilic LAB, of which 17.6% (13/74) had in vitro antilisterial activity. These results demonstrate that raw sheep milk can be considered an important source of autochthonous thermophilic LAB that can be employed as protective cultures during the manufacturing of Sardinian PDO cheeses to improve their food safety. The use of bioprotective cultures should be seen as an additional procedure useful to improve cheese safety along with the correct application of good hygienic practices during manufacturing and the post-processing stages.

Determination of antibiotic residues in raw cow’s milk sold in two dairies in the Koulikoro Region using the HPLC technique

Veterinary treatments, mainly antibiotics, used for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes in dairy farming can be the cause of the presence of antibiotic residues in milk. However, these residues constitute a major health concern for consumers. For the dairy industry, whose objective is to have a raw material suitable for processing, it is necessary to screen for antibiotic residues in milk at each collection. This study is based on two parts, a survey of seventy people (10 practicing veterinarians and 60 milk producers) to describe the main molecules of antibiotics used in dairy cattle farming in the two basins of Tienfala and Kasséla in the Koulikoro region, and a search for residues by Delvotest SP with confirmation of positive samples by liquid chromatography (HPLC). To this end, sixty (60) samples of raw milk were collected in two sampling campaigns per site carried out 15 days apart. All samples were analyzed using the Delvotest SP rapid detection of antibiotic residues in milk kit first before being analyzed by liquid chromatography (HPLC) for positive samples. The results of the surveys revealed the predominance of three pathologies within dairy herds: diarrhoea, mastitis and pulmonary infections with a combination of several antibiotics belonging to five (5) different families of antibiotics. Of the 60 samples submitted for analysis, 38 were found to be positive with Delvotest SP, i.e. a contamination rate of around 63.33%. Of the 38 samples positive to the rapid test, 26 responded positively to confirmation by liquid chromatography, i.e. a rate of 68.42% with mainly four antibiotics belonging to the families of β-lactams and tetracyclines. The results of the study effectively prove the effective presence of antibiotic residues in raw cow's milk from the mini-dairies of Kassela and Tienfala. They thus characterize current practices in the treatment of dairy cattle with antibiotics in the farming areas studied. Compliance with withdrawal periods with the elimination of milk from treated cows must be obtained by raising the awareness of producers by animal health professionals.

Does financial fragility affect consumer well‐being? Evidence from COVID‐19 and the United States

AbstractFinancial fragility is of considerable concern for consumer well‐being. Besides unleashing a public health crisis, COVID‐19 also ignited a financial crisis and thus represents a natural event from the field to study financial well‐being. We maintain that well‐being is a corollary to one's financial situation. We investigate the linkage between financial fragility and well‐being and the moderating role of financial literacy and personality using US data. We find that financial fragility is negatively associated with well‐being. This pervasive phenomenon during a financial crisis has harmful consequences. We also find evidence of a differential impact of financial fragility on well‐being based on Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism, supporting our argument that personality has varying degrees of explanatory and predictive power in terms of well‐being. Surprisingly, financial literacy does not modify this relationship, possibly due to the well‐being affecting an individual's cognition and emotions rather than financial knowledge. Our findings could aid policy makers and financial educators in devising timely strategies to deal with post‐crisis complications.

Issues and Challenges Pertaining to Financing in Providing Pricing Transparency in the American Health Care Industry

In January 2021, hospitals and payer-specific entities in the United States were mandated to comply with the new pricing transparency rules. These rules applied to all standard charges a hospital applied to services provided to and for a consumer. From a financial perspective, the issue of price transparency in health care has for several decades surfaced as a legitimate concern of consumers, health care providers and payers. The aim of this article is to historically examine where and how pricing in health care began and to illustrate financial issues leading up to the current transparency in pricing required by health care payers and providers. A comparative analysis of issues and challenges pertaining to the transparency in pharmaceutical product pricing between the United States and India is also provided in brief.

Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of an essential oil from the leaves of Laurus nobilis L. (laurel leaf oil) for all animal species (FEFANA asbl).

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of an essential oil from the leaves of Laurus nobilis L. (laurel leaf oil), when used as a sensory additive for all animal species. The additive contains up to 4% methyleugenol. The use of the additive at 2mg/kg complete feed in dogs and cats was considered of low concern. For other long-living and reproductive animals, the use of the additive at 10mg/kg was considered of concern. For short-living animals, the Panel had no safety concern when the additive is used at 10mg/kg complete feed for turkeys for fattening, piglets and other growing Suidae, pigs for fattening, veal calves (milk replacer), cattle for fattening and other growing ruminants, horses and rabbits for meat production, salmonids and other fin fish; and at 8.5mg/kg for chickens for fattening, other growing poultry and other minor species for fattening. The use of laurel leaf oil up to the highest level in feed which was considered of no concern for target animals was also expected to be of no concern for consumers. The additive should be considered as irritant to skin and eyes and the respiratory tract. Due to the high concentration of methyleugenol (≥ 1%), the additive was classified by the applicant as suspected of causing genetic defects and of causing cancer and should be handled accordingly. The use of the additive under the proposed conditions of use was not expected to pose a risk for the environment. Since the leaves of L. nobilis and their preparations were recognised to flavour food and their function in feed would be the same, no further demonstration of efficacy was considered necessary.

Quality assessment of raw and pasteurized milk in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia: A laboratory-based cross-sectional study

Milk is a complete and highly nutritious source of food for human beings. However, in many developing countries, including Ethiopia, the quality of milk products has become a major health concern for consumers, particularly for infants and children. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the quality of raw and pasteurized milk marketed in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia. A laboratory-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 90 milk samples. The samples were chosen using a simple random sampling technique. For statistical analysis, ANOVA and the Pearson correlation coefficient were used. The specific gravity of pasteurized milk, farm milk, and milk vendors were found to be 1.021, 1.027, and 1.026, respectively. Farm milk, milk vendors, and pasteurized milk had fat contents of 3.38%, 3.22%, and 3.09%, respectively. The total bacterial count in pasteurized milk, farm milk, and milk vendors was found to be 7.08, 6.73, and 6.94 log10 CFU/mL, respectively. In raw milk, hydrogen peroxide (7.7%), formalin (7.7%), and water (3.8%) were found, whereas in pasteurized milk, hydrogen peroxide (50%), formalin (50%), and water (19.8%) were found. Based on the findings of this study, the quality of both raw and pasteurized milk was found to be poor as per the milk quality standards. This may cause significant public health-related problems. Therefore, an appropriate intervention should be conducted to improve the quality of milk.

Consumers’ willingness to pay for pork safety in the Southeast region of Vietnam

Food safety is a topic that receives consumers’ attention because it affects directly to their health. Increased demand for safe food leads to consumers’ willingness to pay a high price. This study investigates the awareness and willingness to pay of consumers for safe pork with four safety attributes including certification label, traceability, brand, and price. A choice experiment was carried out among 395 consumers from Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai provinces in the Southeast region of Vietnam. A random parameter logit model was estimated to reveal consumers’ willingness to pay for safe pork. Results from the survey revealed that unsafe pork is the main concern of consumers because pork is a common meat in their daily meals. The findings indicated that consumers are willing to pay an extra 32.6% for traceability, 31.1% for safety certification label, and 24.9% for pork brand label. This implies that improving the traceability system, safety certification label, and the promotion of safe pork brands and publicity on pork safety attributes will significantly increase consumers’ trust and demand for safe pork.

A Study of Organic Food Purchasing Behaviour Based on The Theory of Planned Behaviour A Case Study of Generation Z in China

In recent years, food safety issues in China have become more frequent and have had a negative impact on the industry, leading to increasing consumer concern about food safety issues. As the economy continues to improve and people's disposable income increases, natural, nutritious, high-quality and safe organic food is becoming an increasingly popular choice, and consumer behavioural decisions regarding organic food purchases are receiving widespread academic attention. As a young force driving China's development, the Generation Z group is considered to be an environmentally and health-conscious generation. They are committed to achieving sustainable development and the corresponding awareness is reflected in their food choices.This paper will use the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a theoretical framework and also combine it with Risk Perception Theory to explore the organic food purchasing behaviour of Generation Z in China. The findings show that the behavioural attitudes, subjective norms and perceptual behavioural control of Generation Z are positively correlated with their intention to purchase organic food. The perceptions of risk possibility, risk controllability, risk fearfulness, risk visibility and risk consequences fearfulness of organic food information among Generation Z positively influence their organic food purchase intentions.

Maximising olive oil by‐products

Maximising olive oil by‐products

Young Muslim consumers’ attitude towards green plastic products: the role of environmental concern, knowledge of the environment and religiosity

PurposeEnvironmental pollution due to the enormous usage of conventional plastic products has alerted consumers to change their attitude towards green plastic products. This study aims to examine the effects of environmental concern, knowledge of the environment and religiosity on young Muslim consumers’ attitude towards green plastic products in Indonesia. Additionally, the moderating role of gender on these relationships is investigated.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was used as a method of data collection. Data gathered from 231 young Muslim consumers in Bandung, Indonesia, was analysed via the partial least squares-structural equation modelling approach.FindingsThe results revealed that environmental concern is the factor that has the biggest impact on consumers’ attitude and behavioural intentions, both directly and indirectly. This research implies that as a young Muslim’s concern for the environment grows, his or her attitude towards the environment improves, leading them to purchase and endorse green plastic products.Practical implicationsGreen plastic product managers should increase the environmental concern of young Muslim consumers through effective marketing communication strategies and green education programs to disseminate a positive message that green plastic products consumption aids in making the environment safe and healthy.Originality/valueThis empirical study is imperative for green managers to improve their capabilities in boosting young Muslim consumers’ attitude towards green plastic products through strengthening consumers’ environmental concern, knowledge of the environment and religiosity towards supporting the sustainable development goals.

Consumer Attitudes and Concerns about Beef Consumption in Argentina and Other South American Countries

In South America, modifications in beef consumption habits, mainly related to economic reasons, new lifestyles, and new eating behaviors, are being observed. If this trend continues, beef consumption could continue to fall or there would be a greater share of cheaper types of meat. In general, consumer concerns related to health, animal welfare, and environmental impact are increasing. Most of the population in South America follows an omnivorous diet, with a minority of vegetarians/vegans. In Argentina, around 30% consider themselves as flexitarians and around 5% as vegetarians/vegans, with centennials and millennials being the ones that mostly follow these types of behaviors. For flexitarians, the main reason that leads them to adopt this diet is the search for healthier eating. In general, consumers consider livestock production to be a sustainable activity; although, ethical concerns are growing among the younger generations. Finally, around 30% of the total population is willing to partially replace the consumption of beef to avoid animal slaughter and 8% would abandon it for this reason. The current trend would indicate that, if the conditions defined by the present scenarios continue, the motivations to consume less beef could be strengthened.

Interaction between joining platform blockchain technology and channel encroachment for fresh agricultural product firms

AbstractIn recent years, some e‐commerce platforms (e.g., JD.com), which allow firms to set up third‐party stores on them, have established their own blockchain technology and publicly provided blockchain technology to firms. Besides, source tracing of fresh agricultural products on blockchain is a concern for consumers. For firms selling fresh agricultural products, whether to join the platform blockchain technology to disclose product freshness and whether to set up third‐party stores on platforms are thorny problems. To research the interaction between joining the platform blockchain technology strategy and channel encroachment decision for fresh agricultural product firms, we consider four theoretical models. The main results demonstrate that whether firms set up third‐party stores on the platforms or not, their strategies of joining the platform blockchain technology are dependent on consumer's sensitivity to the freshness‐keeping effort level of fresh agricultural product, consumer's trust degree of freshness‐keeping effort level, and the unit blockchain operation cost. Besides, if firms set up third‐party stores, the willingness of joining the platform blockchain technology will increase. Firms’ channel encroachment willingness will also be affected by their joining the platform blockchain technology strategy. Moreover, when considering the fresh agricultural product supply chain, these main conclusions are still held.

Bacterial metagenome profiling of hand-made herby cheese samples utilizing high-throughput sequencing to detect geographical indication and marketing potential

Food safety has been a major concern for consumers. Origin of food products matter for consumers such that the quality, reputation, or other special characteristics can be attributed essentially to that origin. While a geographical indication informs consumers for the origin of the product, it develops a competitive advantage for the markets. To detect distinguishing features of dairy products, the microbial composition of its microbiota is one of the emerging areas of interest. Utilizing novel approaches such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology to decipher the genetic code of 16s rRNA genes to characterize the bacterial population is widely applied. The bacterial microbiota of the herby cheese samples which were collected from Şırnak province in the South Eastern region of Turkey was examined by an NGS approach for purpose of finding geographical indication possibilities. In brief, Firmicutes is the dominant phyla where Lactobacillaceae and Streptococcaceae are abundant families across the analyzed herby cheese microbiota. The most prominent species is Companilactobacillus ginsenosidimutans detected as the dominant member of the bacterial consortia in 16 herby cheese samples. Another remarkable finding reported here is the Weissella jogaejeotgali which was detected in 15 cheese samples. Albeit the abundance of Levilactobacillus koreensis is low at the microbiome level it was identified in four herby cheese samples. As expected, lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactococcus raffinolactis and Tetragenococcus halophilus were also identified. On the other hand, bacterial diversity and microbial composition among cheese samples are not significantly affected by mixing different herbs on the manufacturing of herby cheeses. To the best of our knowledge, C. ginsenosidimutans, W. jogaejeotgali and L. koreensis are identified and reported for the first time in a dairy product and the bacterial richness and evenness of herby cheese are higher than those of most other cheeses. These findings make the cheeses in the geography where the samples were produced more valuable and provide opportunities for them to receive geographical indications. Thus, it will create added value while marketing the products.

Pesticide Residues in Bananas from the Canary Islands.

There are a large number of pests which are detrimental to plant production, specifically to banana cultivation, and the use of pesticides is the main method of control of these pests. Therefore, the number of active substances in pesticides has been steadily increasing since before the Second World War. There is growing consumer concern about the health effects of pesticide residues and there is certainly evidence of a link between pesticide exposure and the prevalence of chronic diseases. Therefore, it is of particular interest to study the presence of pesticide residues in bananas and their toxicological, agricultural and legal implications. In this study, the content of pesticide residues in bananas produced in the Canary Islands during a ten-year period from 2008 to 2017 was determined. A total of 733 samples of bananas were analysed during the study period, in which 191 different active substances were investigated, involving 103,641 assessments. The samples analysed were selected in such a way that they are representative of the banana sector in the Canary Islands as a whole, taking into account geographical and climatic factors, cultivation methods and the processing of bananas in packaging, which are the differentiating factors in the use of pesticides. The reference parameter for the residue investigation is the MRL (maximum residue limit).

Nutritional Value, and Heavy Metal Contents of Fish from the Lower River Niger at Agenebode, Edo State, Nigeria

Fish constitutes a vital component of human diets due to their rich nutritional compositions. They serve as a remarkable source of proteins, vitamins, and fatty acids, which are indispensable for the effective growth and development of humans. The need to explore the nutritional compositions of various species of fish in different water bodies becomes paramount. Presently, consumer concern is not just on food's nutritional value but also on the safety level. Environmental contamination by heavy metals has become an issue of pressing concern in recent times. Heavy metals, due to their ubiquitous nature, are found in various water bodies as they are released from various anthropogenic activities. This work investigated the proximate compositions, mineral contents, and heavy metals concentrations of four different species of fish (P. annectens, L. niloticus, G. niloticus, and H. niloticus) collected from the lower Niger at Agenebode using standard procedures. The highest protein contents were in Gymnarchus niloticus (37.32%), while the least was in Heterotis niloticus (20.41%). Protopterus annectens had the highest carbohydrate content (34.55%), while Heterotis niloticus had the least (12.24%). The highest lipid content (14.41%) was in Gymnarchus niloticus. The highest concentration of potassium was 21.00 ppm. The concentrations of heavy metals in ppm ranged from 0.01 – 1.4 (Cd), 0.07 – 2.89 (Pb), 0.02 – 16.4 (Hg), 0.88 – 5.1 (Cu) and 1.2 – 8.23 (Zn). The concentrations of Hg, Cd and Pb in some of the samples investigated were higher than the permissible limits based on international standards. There is a pressing need for further study focusing on various species of animals and plants in the area due to the alarming contents of these metals; remedial measures could also be ensured for safety.