“INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO SUpErIOr DE MArTINEZ DE LA TOrrE”

Ingeniería en Industrias Alimentarias.

Alumno(s):

Ángel de Jesús García Bonilla

MOD 4 SD-416

LII. Carlos Prats Bernabé

Periodo: Febrero—Junio.

Noticia nacional

4ºSemestre.

Martínez de la Torre, Ver.

03/03/2024.
Researchers report the presence of lead in basic food products.
A study carried out by scientists from
IBERO, the National Institute of Public
Health, the National Institute
Rehabilitation and Pure Earth reveals that
detectable lead values were found in 18% of
103 foods evaluated in Mexico, 2 of them
were baby foods and Two other products
exceeded the maximum limits allowed for
food, which is 0.20 mg per kilo of product.
Worldwide, there is growing concern about
the presence of toxic substances in the foods
we regularly consume, one of the most
important of which is lead. This is
considered by the World Health
Organization (WHO) as one of the ten toxic
elements of greatest concern due to the
adverse effects it causes, especially in young
children and pregnant women. How is
Mexico doing in this regard?
Until recently we had little data in this
regard, but recently the results of a study
of carried out on 103 foods, drinks and spices
most consumed by the Mexican population
were released. The idea was to find the
presence of lead, the results showed that
82% of the foods had no detectable lead
value, but the other 18% of the foods had
detectable lead values, 2 of them were baby
foods and another 2 products exceeded the
maximum limits allowed for food.
In this first effort to know the country's
situation on the subject, products such as
rice, wheat, soy, turmeric, pepper, guajillo
chili were identified; cured meats such as
ham and sausages, tamarind-based sweets,
and rice and soy-based baby products. All of
high consumption in the Mexican
population.
 Rather than being alarmed, what can we do about it?

The work team was made up of researchers They add that the safety and quality of the
from the Universidad Iberoamericana, the food we consume must be one of the
National Institute of Public Health, the priorities for public health, for the
National Institute of Rehabilitation, as well protection of consumers and mainly of the
as Pure Earth, a non-profit environmental population most vulnerable to the toxic
organization. Within the signing team are effects of lead.
Dr. Alejandra Cantoral Preciado and Dr.
According to results from the National
Rosa María Mariscal Moreno from the UI,
Health and Nutrition Survey published in
they, in agreement with their colleagues,
2018, in Mexico more than 17% of children
explain that although, among the
between 1 and 4 years old have lead
recommendations to reduce lead
poisoning, that is, values greater than 5
concentrations in our foods, avoiding
micrograms per deciliter in blood,
cooking stands out. or store food in glazed
exceeding what has been reported. in the
earthenware or use earthenware with a
United States of 2.0% in children of the
“lead-free” seal produced by potters from
same age group.
the National Endowment for the Arts. It is
also worth emphasizing that a varied diet
rich in nutrients such as calcium, iron and
How does lead get into food?
zinc inhibits the absorption of lead and its According to the WHO and the Food and

adverse effects on the body. Agriculture Organization of the United

They assure that this problem goes beyond
individual action, which is why it is
important to articulate the proactive
participation of food producers, regulatory
bodies and researchers that allows the
creation of monitoring and surveillance
systems that guarantee that the maximum
limits of toxic elements such as lead in food.
Nations (FAO), the maximum permitted
limits of lead are 0.20 mg per kilo of
product; exceeding this value in food can
pose a health risk. .
The researchers explain that lead is found
naturally in the environment, however, its
presence in natural foods is mainly due to
industrial waste, which causes soil, air and
water intended for irrigation and food
cultivation to become contaminate,
transferring to crops and animals for
consumption.

International reports indicate that more

than 13% of total cultivated land, about
40% of lakes and rivers, and approximately
0.24 billion hectares of the world's arable
land are contaminated by heavy metals
such as lead and cadmium.

On the other hand, lead can also be found in

processed foods, whose contamination can
occur at different stages of the food chain from
primary production to consumption. For
example, in the manufacture of containers that
are used for conservation. In Mexico, the use of
glazed earthenware for cooking or storing food
is the main cause of exposure in the general
population.