Therefore, TDS summary data
FOOD SAFETY INSIGHTS
Heavy Metals in Food:
How Real is the Threat?
First conducted in 1961, to monitor for radioactive contamination
in the US diet, the Total Diet Study has grown to include
the analysis of additional products and substances.
E
very year, the United States
Food and Drug Administra-
tion (US FDA) performs the
Total Diet Study (TDS), sometimes
called the market basket study,
in which specific food products
from the US marketplace are sam-
pled and analyzed for radioactive
contamination, pesticides, toxic
and nutrient elements and indus-
trial chemicals. Findings from this
study allow dietary intakes of these
analytes to be calculated. Arsenic,
cadmium, lead and mercury are
toxic elements commonly referred
to as heavy metals.
First conducted in 1961, to
monitor for radioactive contami-
nation in the US diet, the Total
❯ The current FDA program
includes about 280 food
products and is divided into the
two categories of specific baby
food samples and all food samples.
50 THE WORLD OF FOOD INGREDIENTS SEPTEMBER 2014
SGStesting.indd 50
from 2006 to 2011 identifies sea-
by James Cook
Diet Study has grown to include
the analysis of additional products
and substances. In order to simu-
late the levels of analytes that are
actually being consumed, all prod-
ucts are prepared as they would be
for consumption prior to analy-
sis. The current program includes
about 280 food products and is
divided into the two categories of
specific baby food samples and
all food samples. Although lead
is the only toxic element analyzed
in specific baby food samples, ar-
senic, cadmium and lead are as-
sessed in the all food samples.
Only specific samples in the all
food category are further analyzed
for mercury. Samples are collected
by US FDA personnel from super-
markets, grocery stores and quick
service restaurants located in cit-
ies throughout the west, north
central, south and northeastern
regions of the US.
Arsenic: Arsenic can be both in-
organic and organic. Inorganic
arsenics, such as arsenate and ar-
senite are more toxic than organic
arsenics, such as methylated forms
and arsenobetaine. Because the US
FDA analyzes total arsenic for the
TDS study, results do not distin-
guish between the inorganic and
organic forms of arsenic. Some
foods, such as seafood, contain
a high level of organic arsenic.
food products such as salmon,
shrimp, tuna, fish sticks and other
seafood items as those with the
highest levels of total arsenic. Tuna
canned in water had the highest
mean value at 1.77mg/kg, or parts
per million (ppm) of total arsenic.
In addition, crisped rice cereal
was another product with a higher
level of total arsenic registered at
0.161ppm mean value. This re-
sult is not surprising since the US
FDA arsenic testing of rice prod-
ucts, apple juice and pear juice
has consistently gone beyond the
scope of testing required for con-
ducting the TDS. In July 2013, the
US FDA proposed an action level
of 10 parts part billion (ppb) of
inorganic arsenic in apple juice
to match the US Environmental
Protection Agency’s upper limit
for drinking water. Some of the
apple juice samples in the TDS did
exceed this proposed action level.
For example, the baby food apple
juice mean result was 0.012ppm
or 12ppb, with a maximum level
of 86ppb. There is no US specific
maximum level standard for rice,
but the Codex Alimentarius Com-
mission (CAC) did announce the
adoption of a maximum standard
tolerating 0.2mg/kg (ppm) of ar-
senic in rice.
Other standards for arsenic,
cadmium, lead and mercury pub-
lished by CAC can be found in the
Codex General Standard for Con-
taminants and Toxins in Food and
Feed Codex Stan 193-1995.
Cadmium: In the TDS, two prod-
ucts have been found to have lev-
els of cadmium higher than the
rest. Roasted salted sunflower
seeds contain a mean amount of
0.383ppm and boiled spinach av-
eraged at 0.196ppm. Once again,
these results are not unexpected
because cadmium is primarily
found in grains, cereals and leafy
vegetables.
Although the US FDA does not
have a specific cadmium limit for
food, it does limit the amount of
cadmium acceptable for ceramic-
ware and also enforces a maxi-
mum cadmium limit of 15ppm in
food colorants.
According to the US Environ-
mental Protection Agency’s No
26-8-2014 16:43:46
 Observed Adverse Effect Level Although the US FDA does not have a specific cadmium limit for food, it and king mackerel as well as to
(NOAEL) of 0.01mg/kg/day for does limit the amount of cadmium acceptable for ceramic-ware and also limit their consumption of white
food, a person weighing 60kg enforces a maximum cadmium limit of 15ppm in food colorants. (albacore) tuna to six ounces a
(132Lb) would have to consume week.
more than 1.56kg (3.44Lb) of tuna, tilefish, shark, king mack- vision, speech and walking as well As the US FDA and the global
sunflower seeds per day, based on erel and swordfish. So, it is not as muscle weakness. community continue to test for
the tested mean, to be above the surprising that canned tuna has The US FDA does have a maxi- heavy metals and evaluate the ef-
NOAEL. a mean value result of 0.142ppm mum level standard of 1ppm of fects that heavy metals have on the
However, although cadmium and a maximum result of 0.509 ac- methyl mercury for all seafood population, standards will contin-
is poorly absorbed through inges- cording to the TDS in which, the and seafood products. No seafood ue to change.
tion, it is poorly excreted by the US FDA tested for total mercury. sample was found to be in excess While these metals can never
body and suspected to have a half- Methyl mercury, an organic form of this level. be totally eliminated from the diet,
life of 25 to 30 years. Large quan- of mercury is more toxic than the On June 10, 2014, the US FDA they can be reduced by good in-
tities of ingested cadmium can inorganic form. updated their advice on fish con- dustrial practices, compliance test-
cause nausea, vomiting, abdomi- Methyl mercury’s primary ef- sumption for pregnant women, ing for raw materials and finished
nal pain, diarrhea and hemorrhag- fect is impaired neurological de- breastfeeding mothers and young goods and smart food choices
ic gastroenteritis. Cadmium is also velopment in fetuses, infants and children. made by those at particular risk.t
a known human carcinogenic. children. The new recommendations
Other possible conditions at- caution pregnant or breastfeeding James Cook is a Food Safety Technolo-
Lead: The TDS provides a lot of tributed to methyl mercury in- women to avoid tilefish from the gist at SGS Consumer Testing Services
in the US. Email: cts.media@sgs.com
information on products tested clude impairment of peripheral Gulf of Mexico, shark, swordfish
for lead and the results indicate
no problems found. This is good, Table 1: Summary of Lead (Pb) Results (US FDA, 2008)
because exposure to large con-
centrations of lead can affect the Estimated Estimated Mass Mass
PTTI (mmg Exposure Exposure Fraction* Fraction*
central nervous system, the kid- Population Group
Pb/day) median max median median
n
neys and the immune system. In (mg Pb/day) (mg Pb/day) (mg Pb/kg) (mg Pb/kg)
children, even at low levels, lead
Young children
is associated with impaired cogni- (0-6 years)
6 0.123 2.88 0.0352 0.395 101
tive function, including reduced
Older children
IQ, behavior difficulty and other 15 0.356 1.78 0.146 0.623 23
(7+ years)
problems. The highest maximum
level of lead noted was attributed Pregnant or
25 0.845 8.97 0.220 2.40 75
lactating women
to boiled shrimp at 0.18ppm with
a mean value of 0.012ppm. Adult women 75 0.842 4.92 0.221 1.20 125
The US FDA does have Provi- *i.e. concentration
sional Total Tolerable Intake levels
(PTTI) of lead for at risk groups
including children, pregnant and
lactating women and adult wom-
en. The FDA used the PTTI lev-
els to help create to their 0.1ppm
maximum level of lead standard in
candy likely to be consumed fre-
quently by children. The State of
California has adopted the 0.1ppm
maximum lead standard for all
candy. Additionally, because of
these PTTI levels, food cannot ex-
ceed concentrations ranging from
0.1 to 10ppm.
Table 1 is a summary of lead
testing results in women’s and chil-
dren’s vitamins published by the
US FDA in 2008. Any lead present
was found to be below PTTI levels.
California’s Prop 65 settlement es-
tablished a maximum 1.5ppm lev-
el of lead in calcium supplements
and limited the no significant risk
level to 0.5mmg/day.

Mercury: Mercury can be found

in certain species of fish such as

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE WORLD OF FOOD INGREDIENTS 51

SGStesting.indd 51 22-8-2014 15:31:25