Number 32 July 1994
MAFF UK - MULTI-ELEMENT SURVEY OF VARIOUS FOOD TYPES
Index to MAFF UK Food Surveillance Information
Sheets, 1994
see also:
33: MAFF UK - A Survey of Cadmium,
Arsenic, Mercury and Lead Concentrations in Individual Foods (July 1994)
93: MAFF,UK - Multi element analysis
of infant foods - follow-up survey (August 1996)
113: MAFF, UK - Survey of Lead and
Cadmium in Foods (June 1997)
131: MAFF, UK: 1994 Total Diet
Study: Metals and Other Elements (November 1997)
146: MAFF UK - Concentrations of
metals and other elements in selected snack and convenience foods (March
1998)
149: MAFF UK - 1994 Total Diet
Study (Part 2) Dietary intakes of metals and other elements (May 1998)
150: MAFF UK - Metals and Other
Elements in Cows' Milk and Vegetables Produced Near Industrial Sites
(May 1998)
151: MAFF UK - Concentrations of
Metals and Other Elements in Marine Fish and Shellfish (May 1998)
166: MAFF UK - Metals and Other
Elements in Vegetarian Foods (November 1998)
190: MAFF UK - Metals and other
elements in infant foods (November 1999)
191: MAFF UK - 1997 Total Diet
Study - Aluminium, Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, Mercury,
Nickel, Selenium, Tin and Zinc (November 1999)
199: MAFF UK - Multi-Element
Survey of Wild Edible Fungi and Blackberries (March 2000)
Background
The Food Safety Directorate has carried out a multi-element survey of
various foods, with the analysis undertaken by the Laboratory of the
Government Chemist during 1991-93. This survey was undertaken to update
information currently available on various elements in foods. It provided
information on arsenic and toxic metals such as cadmium and lead which are
of greatest concern. although a diverse range of foods were studied, the
number of samples of each food was necessarily small and consequently the
results may not necessarily indicate the entire range of concentrations
which might be observed for these foods.
Results
One hundred food samples were selected for analysis from three main
categories; convenience foods and foods consumed outside the home, baby
foods and a range of exotic foods including Chinese and Indian delicacies.
The analytical results for 8 elements are presented in the summary
table 1 shown below. Wherever possible
the results for this survey were compared with previously published
surveillance data.1-7
Overall the metal concentrations for the baby foods analysed were either
lower or comparable to previous data, and frequently at the limit of
detection. Only powdered meat products contained slightly elevated lead
concentrations (mean, 0.029 mg/kg) compared with the remaining baby foods
which contained lead concentrations at the limit of detection. All dried
infant foods and formulae were reconstituted prior to analysis.
The elemental concentrations reported for the exotic foods sampled were
highly variable, although for most metals the concentrations reported were
low or at the limit of determination. A few foods were however found to
contain elevated concentrations of cadmium (dried fish) and lead (canned
okra and mango). The elevated lead content for the canned produce may be
due to degradation of the packaging. Concentrations of some elements, e.g.
arsenic were elevated in the fish samples, but the concentrations reported
were not atypical for fish which naturally accumulate arsenic, but not in
the toxic inorganic form. One sample of dried sprats was found to contain
high levels of zinc (175 mg/kg) but as the sample was in a dried form this
may partially account for the elevated concentration.
Previously, only data on lead concentrations in exotic foods have been
available in the UK and so this survey has served to extend the
information available for these foods which have in recent years become
increasingly popular and of greater significance in the diet.
A wide range of chilled and take-away dishes were sampled which included
meat pies, curries, Chinese and Italian dishes, hamburgers, kebabs,
moussaka, vegetarian foods and traditional British foods such as fish and
chips and sausage rolls. The metal concentrations for these were
frequently low or at the limit of determination for lead and arsenic, and
for the remaining elements usually within the ranges found in previous
surveillance data. As expected, elevated arsenic concentrations were
reported for dishes containing fish. The fish and chip samples and one of
the beef in oyster sauce dishes contained arsenic concentrations of 2.0
mg/kg (mean, n=3) and 1.6 mg/kg respectively.
Cadmium concentrations in most dishes analysed were less than 0.030
mg/kg, although one sample of meat curry contained 0.090 mg/kg and a
sample of beef in oyster sauce contained 0.18 mg/kg. For each of these
dishes two samples were analysed, and the remaining samples contained only
low cadmium concentrations.
Interpretation
The results of this survey were much as expected and although generally
reassuring the sample sizes obtained were relatively small, consequently
the results may not accurately reflect the entire range of concentrations
of these metals which might be found in these foods. However, the analyses
for these elements indicated that in most cases the concentrations found
were either lower than reported in previous Food Surveillance Papers or
typical for the type of food.
- Food Surveillance Paper No. 5 : Survey of Copper and Zinc in Food
(ISBN No. 0112411991),
- Food Surveillance Paper No. 8 : Survey of Arsenic in Food (ISBN No.
0112412122).
- Food Surveillance Paper No. 10 : Survey of Lead in Food: Second
Supplementary Report (ISBN No. 0112425534).
- Food Surveillance Paper No. 12 : Survey of Cadmium in Food: First
supplementary Report (ISBN No. 0112425771).
- Food Surveillance Paper No. 15 : Survey of Aluminium, Antimony,
Chromium, Cobalt, Indium, Nickel, Thallium and Tin in Food (ISBN No.
0112427405).
- Food Surveillance Paper No. 17 : Survey of Mercury in Food: Second
Supplementary Report (ISBN No. 0112427960).
- Food Surveillance Paper No. 27 : Lead in Food: Progress Report (ISBN
No. 011242886X).
Contact Point:
Further details on this survey are available from:
Dr T Boshier
MAFF, Joint Food Safety and Standards Group
Additives and Novel Foods Division
Room 239, Ergon House
c/o Nobel House, 17 Smith Square
London, SW1P 3JR
Tel: +44 (0)20 7238 6099
Fax: +44 (0)20 7238 6382
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