Baby Food Samples Research Articles

Formation of furan and furan derivatives in baby food products

A comprehensive analysis of 89 commercial baby food samples showed the highest levels of furan in ready-to-eat full meals and vegetable purees (12–118 μg/kg). The alkylated furans (2- and 3-methylfuran, 2-ethylfuran, 2-pentylfuran) were predominantly found in these baby food categories. Furfuryl alcohol was notably abundant in ready-to-eat cereal porridge (3,550–13,100 μg/kg). The addition of lactose to self-made cereal porridge strongly influenced the formation of furfuryl alcohol. After reheating selected commercial baby food samples, a reduction of furan by 38 %, methylfurans by 28 %, and 2-ethylfuran by 26 % has been achieved. Raw materials, vegetable varieties, and storage conditions had a major impact on furan formation, which requires an adaptation of processing parameters. The most promising mitigation of furan (by 44 %) and most furan derivatives in vegetable puree were achieved by adding the additive calcium lactate gluconate. In contrast, in cereal porridge, the formation of furfuryl alcohol was reduced by 28 %.

Infant and Toddler Health Risks Associated with Pesticide Residue Exposure Through Fruit- and Vegetable-Based Baby Food

This research specifically delves into the potential health risks associated with pesticide residues in fruit- and vegetable-based foods for Turkish infants and toddlers.A total of 36 baby food samples were analyzed using a validated method covering 355 pesticide residues, employing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS/ MS) and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Notably, 72.2% of the samples revealed no pesticide residues, while 10 samples exceeded the Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) stipulated by the EU Directives. Specifically,pyriproxyfen had the greatest average concentration in pear fruits (0.573mg/kg). Notably, both pyrimethanil and pyriproxyfen were the most frequently detected analytes in all positive samples. The study further simulated a population, considering age-specific energy requirements for infants and toddlers. Pyriproxyfen demonstrated the highest average exposure (1.58±2.20μg/kg bw/day) across all age groups. Notably, for 6-month-old infants, the toxicological contribution as a percentage of the ADI for pesticides remained below 14.73%. It emphasizes the necessity for regulatory measures to ensure the safety of foods intended for infants and toddlers in the Turkish market. These findings support ongoing efforts to uphold pesticide levels within acceptable safety limits.

Optimization of Sample Preparation Procedure for Determination of Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Milk and Infant Food by HPLC Technique

Background: The analysis of vitamins in baby food is a challenging task given the complexity of the food matrix, vitamin stability, and strict regulations of the European Union regarding permissible deviations from declared values. Vitamins in food exist in different concentrations and forms and have different stabilities; thus, the preparation of samples for a reliable analysis using the same procedure is not straightforward. Therefore, significant attention has been devoted to optimizing sample preparation in the analysis of vitamins. Methods: This study aims to determine which of the sample preparation and extraction methods is the most efficient for the simultaneous determination of vitamins A, D, E, and K in milk and baby food using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Different samples of baby food were prepared in seven different ways based on four methods (saponification, enzymatic hydrolysis, solvent extraction, and solid-phase extraction). Results and Conclusion: According to the validation parameters, the optimal preparation method proved to be solid-phase extraction with a C18 stationary phase, with recoveries of 97.4%, 96.1%, 98.3%, and 96.2% for vitamins A, D, E, and K, respectively, and HPLC with a UV–Vis detector was identified as a sufficiently sensitive technique for the identification and quantification of fat-soluble vitamins in milk and baby food.

Colorimetric enzymatic rapid test for the determination of atropine in baby food using a smartphone.

A method for the enzymatic determination of atropine has been developed, which is based on a sequence of reactions involving (1) the hydrolysis of atropine to give tropine; (2) the enzymatic oxidation of tropine with NAD (catalysed by tropinone reductase); and (3) an indicator reaction, in which the NADH previously formed reduces the dye iodonitrotetrazolium chloride (INT) to a reddish species, the reaction catalysed by diaphorase. The method was first developed in solution (linear response range from 2.4 × 10-6M to 1.0 × 10-4M). It was then implemented in cellulose platforms to develop a rapid test where the determination is made by measuring the RGB coordinates of the platforms using a smartphone-based device. The device is based on the integrating sphere concept and contains a light source to avoid external illumination effects. The smartphone is controlled by an app that allows a calibration line to be generated and the atropine concentration to be quantified; moreover, since the app normalizes the CCD response of the smartphone, the results and calibrations obtained with different smartphones are similar and can be shared. Using the G coordinate, the results were shown to have a linear response with the concentration of atropine ranging from 1.2 × 10-5M to 3.0 × 10-4M with an RSD of 1.4% (n = 5). The method has been applied to the determination of atropine in baby food and buckwheat samples with good results.

Improved efficiency of ion trapping time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the analysis of pesticide residues and mycotoxins at trace levels in baby food

The analysis of pesticide residues and mycotoxins in baby food demands exceptionally low limits of quantitation, necessitating the use of highly sensitive instruments capable of conducting trace analyses. High-resolution instruments typically fail to detect such low levels. However, the latest advancements in liquid time-of-flight technology, when coupled with ion trapping, enable ion enrichment, thereby improving detection levels. This allows for the analysis of these substances at low concentration levels, benefiting from enhanced mass accuracy. Additionally, the use of mass accuracy data helped eliminate matrix interferences, thereby enabling high-confidence identification. We developed a multi-residue method to analyse 219 pesticide residues and 9 mycotoxin residues in baby food matrices. Utilizing a QuEChERS-based extraction method, the samples were then analysed using an LC-ZenoTOF 7600 system with mass window screening acquisition. For pesticides, the limit of quantitation was 0.001–0.003 mg/kg for 81 % of the evaluated compounds, 0.005 mg/kg for 13 %, 0.010 mg/kg for 4 % and 0.020–0.030 for 2 %; good linearities were obtained at these levels. Apparent recoveries were evaluated at 0.003, 0.005, and 0.010 mg/kg. At the lowest recovery level, 93 % of compounds showed recoveries between 70 and 120 %. The rest of the compounds were in the range of 63–129 %, with relative standard deviation values below 20 %. For mycotoxins, the limits of quantitation ranged from 0.0001 to 0.100 mg/kg, with matrix-matched concentrations assessed within this range. Recoveries were evaluated at low concentration range (0.001–0.003 mg/kg) and high range (0.020–0.050) with apparent recoveries values between 92 and 140 %. Finally, a total of 31 commercial baby food samples were analysed using this method. The results indicated that 16 samples contained pesticide residues, while two samples were found to have mycotoxins.

Development of a highly sensitive method based on QuEChERS and GC-MS/MS for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in infant foods.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental contaminants that can be found in various food products, including those intended for infants. Due to their potential health risks, it is crucial to develop sensitive analytical methods for the accurate determination of PAHs in infant foods. This study describes the development and validation of a highly sensitive method for the quantification of European PAH markers, namely benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, and benzo[b]fluoranthene, using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), in baby food samples. The first step was the optimization of the sample preparation procedure, performed using different methods based on the QuEChERS approach, also testing different extraction solvents. Several factors such as extraction efficiency, selectivity, and recovery were evaluated to choose the most effective procedure for sample preparation. Furthermore, the GC-MS/MS method was optimized, evaluating parameters such as linearity, sensitivity, accuracy, and robustness using spiked infant food samples. The method demonstrated excellent linearities with a correlation coefficient higher than 0.999 over a wide concentration range, and limits of detection and limits of quantification in the range 0.019-0.036 μg/kg and 0.06-0.11 μg/kg, respectively. Extraction recoveries were between 73.1 and 110.7%, with relative standard deviations always lower than 8%. These findings are compliant with the indications of the European Commission (Reg. 836/2011). To assess the applicability of the method to official control activities, a survey was conducted on commercially available infant food products. Four markers were determined in commercial samples belonging to different food categories for infants and young children. The outcome of this monitoring showed that PAH contamination, in all samples, was below the quantification limits. In conclusion, the developed GC-MS/MS method provides a highly sensitive and reliable approach for the determination of PAHs in baby foods. The optimized sample preparation, instrumental parameters, and validation results ensure accurate quantification of 4 PAHs even at trace levels. This method could contribute to the assessment of PAH exposure in infants and it could support regulatory efforts to ensure the safety and quality of infant food products with regular monitoring.

Mammalian and avian species quantification in homogenized foods: real time PCR and digital PCR as tools for label compliance controls

Currently food fraud and authenticity of products composition are topics of great concern; ingredients quantification could allow to identify small amounts of contaminats or voluntary addition of improper components. Many molecular methods are available for species identification in foodstuffs but, for a better application, they should not be affected by the interference of other ingredients. The main purpose of this work was to verify the Real Time PCR and the Digital PCR (dPCR) quantification performances on baby food samples, specifically selected for their high miscibility to limit variability; chicken was selected as target to verify the performance of quantification of methods after having spiked the same quantity in different baby foods. The other aims were: (1) to verify a constant genome copies ratio existence between mammalian and avian species (2) to verify the dPCR performance, set up on housekeeping, to quantify mammalian and avian species in commercial products. Digital PCR showed fewer differences respect to Real Time PCR, at the same 15% w/w chicken spiking level. Despite the constant difference between mammalian and avian genome copies, in samples with the same spiking weight, the confidence intervals increasing towards the extreme values, made impossible to use genome copies ratio as a sort of correction factor between species. Finally, the dPCR system using the myostatin housekeeping gene to determine the chicken content seemed reliable to verify the labelling compliance in meat-based commercial products.

Assessment of mycotoxin contamination in cereal-based baby foods destined for infant consumption in Brazil

The presence of mycotoxins in cereal-based baby foods is undesirable, especially because infants are considered more vulnerable to toxin exposure than adults. In this context, this study evaluated the occurrence of multiple mycotoxins in 60 samples of cereal-based baby foods from Brazil and assessed the risk of the consumption of these products by children. Aflatoxins B1 and B2 (AFB1, AFB2), deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyl deoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-acetyl deoxynivalenol (15-ADON) and zearalenone (ZEN) were evaluated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results revealed that 98.3% of the samples were contaminated by at least one mycotoxin, with 80% of them demonstrating co-contamination. DON was detected in 80% of the samples, followed by 15-ADON (71.7%), 3-ADON (65%), ZEN (56.7%) and AFB1 (5%), with none of the samples contaminated by AFB2. The maximum concentrations found were 75.6 μg/kg for DON, 18.9 μg/kg for ZEN, 9.6 μg/kg for 15-ADON, 3.5 μg/kg for AFB1 and 2.8 μg/kg for 3-ADON. The occurrence of AFB1 was low, however, some products exceeded the limits established by the current regulations. Although the estimated daily intake (EDI) of DON, 3-ADON, 15-ADON and ZEN were below the safety values currently established, the margin of exposure (MOE) values for AFB1 indicate a concern for public health.

Uranium concentrations and its isotopes in baby food of Iraq

Abstract This study determines uranium concentrations and isotopes (238U, 235U, and 234U) in baby food samples collected from Iraqi markets using solid-state nuclear track detector technical (CR-39). Also, some radiological hazard parameters such as annual committed effective dose (E U) and risk of an excess cancer fatality per million persons (RECFPMP) for the same study samples were calculated using theoretical equations. The samples in the present study were classified into three varieties: cereals and cereal products, vegetables and fruits, and biscuits. The results show that the average uranium concentration (mg/kg or ppm) values in cereals and cereal products, vegetables and fruits, and biscuits were 0.71 ± 0.01, 0.81 ± 0.04, and 0.72 ± 0.031, respectively. At the same time, the average values of 238U, 235U, and 234U in all samples of the present study were 9.08 ±0.17 Bq/kg, 0.42 ± 0.0081 Bq/kg, and 9.33 ± 0.18 Bq/kg, respectively. The total average of E U (mSv/y) due to all uranium isotopes (238U, 235U, and 234U) in cereals and cereal products, vegetables and fruits, and biscuits were 0.042 ± 0.0006, 0.039 ± 0.001, and 0.034 ± 0.001, respectively. Moreover, it was found that the average values of RECFPMP were 0.159 ± 0.002 in cereals and cereal products samples, 0.154 ± 0.007 in vegetables and fruits samples, and 0.130 ± 0.005 in biscuits samples. Uranium concentrations and the total annual committed effective dose in all baby food samples comply with the worldwide limits approved by UNSCEAR, which state safe limitations (1.7 mg/kg) and (0.32 mSv/y), respectively. So, one may conclude that there is no danger of uranium concentrations in the case of baby consumption.

Monitoring and risk assessment for some quaternary ammonium compounds as antimicrobial agents in some processed and packaged food

ABSTRACT Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) might be applied as fungicides, herbicides, and algaecide in agriculture or as antimicrobial agents in food preservation. There are risks either from the application of QACs as food additives or the contamination during the disinfection and sterilisation of the food production lines by QACs in food production factories. Exceeding the maximum residue limits (MRLs) wasn’t accepted by European legislation and Codex guidelines, leading to several risks in human health. Inspecting and monitoring of QACs in 143 packaged food products, such as liquid milk, juices, baby food products, herbal drinks, and frozen vegetables and fruits were carried out in some Egyptian local markets during 2022–2023. The In-house validated QuEChERS extraction method was operated and followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. Only one violated baby food sample that was contaminated with 0.064 mg/kg DDAC and 0.335 mg/kg BACs. According to the EU MRLs, there were no higher residue levels of QACs in juices, milk products, and frozen vegetables with acceptable concentrations. All analysed samples have acceptable results with concentrations less than 0.1 mg/kg, which means that they were all safe for human consumption and health. Our study supported the analytical procedure for the routine inspection of QACs in food.

Development and validation of a kinetic-spectrophotometric method for the trace determination of 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid in baby teas and baby food samples using solid phase extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography

Development and validation of a kinetic-spectrophotometric method for the trace determination of 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid in baby teas and baby food samples using solid phase extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography

Assessment of quality and safety aspects of homemade and commercial baby foods

Dietary Guidelines in some countries recommend avoiding commercially processed baby food, while others encourage the consultation of ingredients and nutritional information. Therefore, the objective of this study was to systematically analyze different baby foods obtained from commercial market and “homemade” produced, in order to verify whether comercial products have low nutritional and unsafety attributes. The samples were analyzed for chemical composition, physicochemical aspects, texture, microbiological and mycotoxin contamination, and pesticide residues. Results showed that, in general, commercial samples have a higher energy density and better ratio of macronutrients. The sodium, pH, and texture of both products were in accordance with the recommendations. None of the baby foods evaluated were contaminated with yeast and molds, total coliforms, or Escherichia coli; however, Salmonella sp. was confirmed in one homemade sample. Pesticide residues were detected in all analyzed baby food samples; however, at lower levels than the limit of quantification. Ochratoxin A was detected in one homemade baby food sample (5.76 µg /kg). Considering the samples evaluated, commercial baby food samples appeared to be safer in relation to microbiological, pesticide residue standards, and mycotoxin contamination. Therefore, it could be concluded that the quality of commercial and homemade baby foods still needs to be improved, as well as more studies related to a critical analyses of both types of processes used.

Detection of Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd) Concentrations and Hazards in Some Baby Food Samples

This study was conducted to detect the concentration of lead and cadmium in baby foods, (18) samples were examined, which are the most available from various local markets in the city of Baghdad (at a rate of (9) samples of baby food consisting of cereals and (9) samples of baby foods consisting of vegetables). All samples were examined using an atomic flame absorptiometry (AAS-7000), all results showed the presence of lead and cadmium and the highest concentration value of lead in baby foods consisting of cereals (1.0986) and cadmium in baby foods consisting of vegetables (0.0015) ppm. Lead exceeded 100% limitations and cadmium did not exceed that. The results reported on the risks of contamination, as the mean daily intake (g/kg/d) for lead (1.3538) and cadmium amounted to (0.010), and the target hazard quotient index was high for the index (THQ>10) for lead in most of the samples examined and reached (THQ<10) in some samples examined, while cadmium all samples reached an index of (THQ<10). The study showed an increase in lead concentrations and perceptible risks and did not report an increase in cadmium concentrations outside the determinants, but it warns of imperceptible risks to the consumer. The study showed statistically significant differences between the levels of lead and cadmium and between the studied species and did not show statistically significant differences between the origins at the level of significance (0.05). It has been shown that these products pose a risk to children when consumed, so these products must be banned and ways must be found to reduce or prevent these pollutants with these products or find appropriate alternatives.

Development and Validation of a modified QuEChERS coupled to Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry for the Rapid and Accurate Determination of Acrylamide in Cereal-Based Baby Foods.

With the widespread consumption of cereal-based baby food by children, acrylamide contamination is a prevalent risk that may have carcinogenic consequences. This study aims to develop and validate a modified QuEChERS protocol without solvent exchange, followed by rapid separation and accurate determination of acrylamide in cereal-based baby foods using RP-LC-MS/MS. Samples were extracted using a modified AOAC QuEChERS version and cleaned up with basic alumina. Separation was performed on the Phenomenex® Kinetex C18 column (100 Å × 3.5µm × 4.6 mm × 150 mm) using a gradient elution program with a mobile phase of 10-mM ammonium formate/methanol. Determinations were conducted by ESI-MS/MS in positive ion mode. Basic alumina yielded clean extracts, resulting in acceptable recovery percentages and a tolerable ME < 5%. This has allowed extraction without a solvent exchange step. Efficient separation was achieved at a tR of 3.39 ± 0.05 employing an RP-C18 column with core-shell properties in a relatively short analysis run time of only 5 min. Trueness, precision, LOD, LOQ, linearity range, and R2 results were 92.5-104.6%, RSD≤12.2%, 5 µg/kg, 20 µg/kg, 4.0-1000.0 µg/kg, and > 0.9999, respectively. The test method applicability was demonstrated by proficiency testing and 50 real samples of cereal-based baby foods. Most of the tested samples were in violation of acrylamide's established EU benchmark (40 µg/kg). Acetate-buffered QuEChERS in conjunction with optimized amounts of basic alumina was confirmed as a superior driving approach for optimal method performances. Successful selection of the RP-C18 column is the proper means toward selective separation for acrylamide at a relatively short analysis run time. The modified AOAC QuEChERS with a d-SPE of basic alumina assisted in reducing the ME to tolerable levels while maintaining acceptable method performance. The RP-C18 column of core-shell properties enabled a rapid and accurate acrylamide determination.

Health risk assessment of some selected heavy metals in infant food sold in Wa, Ghana

Infants remain a high-risk group as far as exposure to toxic metals is concerned. The levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), antimony (Sb), mercury (Hg), and arsenic (As) in twenty-two (22) samples of baby foods and formulas were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The concentrations in (mg/kg) of As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Sb were in the ranges 0.006–0.057, 0.043–0.064, 0.113–0.33, 0.000–0.002, 1.720–3.568, 0.065–0.183, 0.061–0.368 and 0.017–0.1 respectively. Health risk assessment indices like the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), Cancer Risk (CR) and Hazard Index (HI) were calculated. EDI values of Hg, Cr, and As were below their recommended tolerable daily intake, that of Ni and Mn were lower in 95% of samples, and Cd was also lower in 50% of the samples. THQ values for As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, and Pb were 0.32–3.21, 0.75–1.10, 0.65–1.94, 0.00–0.37, 0.21–0.44, 0.08–0.12 and 0.26–1.13 respectively. The CR values were greater than 10−6, making them unacceptable for human consumption. HI values were between 2.68 and 6.83 (greater than 1), which implied that these metals are likely to pose non-carcinogenic health risks to infants.

Prevalence of Novel and Traditional Synthetic Phenolic Antioxidants in Baby Food from China: A Dominant Pathway for Infant Exposure.

Synthetic phenolic antioxidants (SPAs) are a group of ubiquitous contaminants with multiple toxicities. However, current knowledge on the occurrence of SPAs in baby food and associated infant exposure is lacking. Herein, we analyzed three categories of baby food from China: infant formula, cereal, and puree, for a broad suite of 11 traditional and 19 novel SPAs. In addition to 11 traditional SPAs, up to 13 novel SPAs were detected in the baby food samples. The median concentrations of novel SPAs for infant formula, cereal, and puree were 604, 218, and 24.1 ng/g, respectively, surpassing those of traditional SPAs (53.4, 62.1, and 10.0 ng/g). The prevalent SPAs in the samples were butylated hydroxytoluene, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, pentaerythritol tetrakis[3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate] (AO 1010), and octadecyl 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate (AO 1076). Source analysis indicated that the prevalence of these four SPAs in baby food was associated with contamination of packaging materials, mechanical processing, or raw ingredients. Migration experiments demonstrated that contamination of plastic packaging constituted an important source. Exposure assessment suggested that there may be no appreciable health risk posed by the SPAs in baby food. Even so, baby food consumption was still a dominant pathway for infant exposure to SPAs, with a higher contribution than breast milk consumption, dust ingestion, dermal dust absorption, and air inhalation, which requires special attention.

BabyNutri

The physical and physiological development of infants and toddlers requires the proper amount of macronutrient intake, making it an essential problem to estimate the macronutrient in baby food. Nevertheless, existing solutions are either too expensive or poor performing, preventing the widespread use of automatic baby nutrient intake logging. To narrow this gap, this paper proposes a cost-effective and portable baby food macronutrient estimation system, BabyNutri. BabyNutri exploits a novel spectral reconstruction algorithm to reconstruct high-dimensional informative spectra from low-dimensional spectra, which are available from low-cost spectrometers. We propose a denoising autoencoder for the reconstruction process, by which BabyNutri can reconstruct a 160-dimensional spectrum from a 5-dimensional spectrum. Since the high-dimensional spectrum is rich in light absorption features of macronutrients, it can achieve more accurate macronutrient estimation. In addition, considering that baby food contains complex ingredients, we also design a CNN nutrition estimation model with good generalization performance over various types of baby food. Our extensive experiments over 88 types of baby food show that the spectral reconstruction error of BabyNutri is only 5.91%, reducing 33% than the state-of-the-art baseline with the same time complexity. In addition, the nutrient estimation performance of BabyNutri not only obviously outperforms state-of-the-art and cost-effective solutions but also is highly correlated with the professional spectrometer, with the correlation coefficients of 0.81, 0.88, 0.82 for protein, fat, and carbohydrate, respectively. However the price of our system is only one percent of the commercial solution. We also validate that BabyNutri is robust regarding various factors, e.g., ambient light, food volume, and even unseen baby food samples.

Acidity and content of fluoride in canned children’s food as factors influencing caries-resistance of children’s teeth

SummaryIntroduction. The alimentary factor is recognized as one of the leading factors in the etiopathogenesis of dental caries. The organization of nutrition in young children, including the introduction of complementary foods, its composition, the content of fluorides in it and acidity, can affect the formation of hard tissues of the child’s teeth, their mineralization, and, consequently, the susceptibility to caries and the maintenance of a cariogenic situation in the oral cavity. Purpose: develop general recommendations to reduce the possible cariogenic effects of canned foods for young children based on the determination of acidity and fluoride content. Materials and methods: through interviewing 398 parents of children between the ages of three and 10 years during a routine medical examination, the algorithm of use as well as the most popular brands and types of ready-made canned foods for infants as complementary foods in St. Petersburg were identified. A chemical analysis of samples of popular canned baby food products was carried out, their acidity (pH) and fluoride content were determined. Results. It was found that the acidity indicators of canned baby food samples are in the critical range for triggering the demineralization of temporary teeth enamel, which, combined with their low fluoride content, indicates the cariogenic potential of this type of food. In addition, parents do not always follow the recommended algorithm for the introduction and withdrawal of complementary foods. Conclusions. To reduce the possible cariogenic effect of canned baby food, further work is needed with parents on the prevention of caries in milk teeth, including recommendations regarding oral hygiene, monitoring of fluoride intake, and rational, balanced nutrition of children.

Determination of Total Mercury in Spanish Samples of Baby Food, Fast Food, and Daily Meal

This study determined the levels of total mercury in Spanish samples of baby food, fast food, and daily meal, which people of different ages consume, to evaluate potential toxicological risks through the contribution to the tolerable daily intake (TDI). The total mercury concentrations were determined in thirteen commercial baby foods for infants 6 to 12 months old, six types of fast foods prepared for children, and nine canteen menus prepared for adults. Samples were analyzed using a direct mercury analyzer, and the following concentration ranges were found: baby food (0.57-41.9 µg kg–1), fast food (0.54-68 µg kg–1), and adult menus (0.43-638 µg kg–1). The recovery of different amounts of spiked mercury ranged from 98.6 to 104.9%, and the method’s accuracy was checked with an analysis of different certified reference materials. The limits of detection and quantification obtained were 0.1 and 0.3 µg kg–1, respectively, with a relative standard deviation of up to 11%. The contribution of the samples to the TDI varied as follows: baby food (0.3-28%), fast food (0.5-102%), and adult menus (0.3-396%). Therefore, it was concluded that total mercury daily intake does not pose risks for Spanish children and adults if tuna is not included on their menu.

Determination of heavy metal content in baby food samples with the method of ICP-MS

Determination of heavy metal content in baby food samples with the method of ICP-MS