Assessment of human health risk due to potentially toxic elements intake via consumption of Egyptian rice-based and wheat-based baby cereals

ABSTRACT

Commercially available baby cereals have become an important part of the diet of many infants and toddlers because of their mineral and vitamin content that fulfils the dietary requirements of these target groups. The presence of contaminants such as metals in infant formulas may pose health risks for children. Therefore, cumulative exposure from such formulas should not exceed the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for toxic metals as set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for essential trace elements. In this study, analysis of 28 samples covering 12 different brands of popular baby cereals collected from different Egyptian markets to assess whether the intake complied with the upper permissible levels for tested metals was performed. Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP OES) coupled with ultrasonic nebuliser unit was optimised, validated and applied in the routine method of analysis for the determination of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), antimony (Sb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), tin (Sn), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn) and nickel (Ni) in different baby cereal samples. The results showed that all analysed samples were free from any detectable amount of Cr, Pb and Sb, while the mean concentrations, in mg/kg (dry weight), were as follows: 3.30 (Mn), 47.40 (Fe), 0.02 (Cd), 1.00 (Cu) and 11.4 (Zn). The human health risk assessment was evaluated for daily and weekly intakes, the hazard quotient and the hazard index. The results of the health risk values were found to be significantly below the recommended tolerable levels and acceptable guideline values, which indicated that there are no carcinogenic effects may occur.

KEYWORDS:

• Method validation
• ICP OES
• baby cereals
• hazard index
• dietary intake
• potentially toxic elements
• Egypt

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the use of the facilities, equipment and resources of the Agriculture Research Center – Central Laboratory of Residue Analysis of Pesticides and Heavy Metals in Food during the period of the development of this paper. The authors also would like to thank Prof. Dr Hend Abdella lab director of the Central Laboratory of Residue Analysis of Pesticides and Heavy Metals in Foods – Agriculture Research Center. The authors also would like to thank Prof. Dr Ashraf Mahmoud El Marsafy Ex-director of the Central Laboratory of Residue Analysis of Pesticides and Heavy Metals in Foods lab – Agriculture Research Center.

Disclosure statement

Author Mahmoud M. Ghuniem declares that he has no conflict of interest. Author Mona A. Khorshed declares that she has no conflict of interest. Author Sherif M. El-Safty declares that he has no conflict of interest. Author Eglal R. Souaya declares that he has no conflict of interest. Author Mostafa M.H. Khalil declares that he has no conflict of interest.