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. 2023 Jun 8;11(9):5270-5282.
doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3485. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Occurrence and dietary exposure assessment of heavy metals in baby foods in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Najla S Alharbi  1 , Rawdah M Akamsiei  1 , Lama A Almaiman  1 , Mostafa A Al-Samti  2 , Hamad S Al-Mutairi  2 , Bandar S Al-Owais  1 , Majid M Alkhalaf  1   3 , Mohammed A Bineid  1
Affiliations

Occurrence and dietary exposure assessment of heavy metals in baby foods in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Najla S Alharbi et al. Food Sci Nutr. .

Abstract

Early childhood exposure to heavy metals like arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) through baby foods unfolds many concerns about their toxic effects on growth and health. In this study, occurrence and dietary intake of As, Cd, and Pb in stage 1 infant formula (0-6 months), stage 2 infant formula (7-12 months), cereal-based meals, and biscuits were estimated. First, the levels of As, Cd, and Pb were determined with ICP-MS, followed by the calculation of estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), and hazard index (HI) for As and Cd, and margin of exposure (MoE) for Pb. Mean levels of As, Cd, and Pb were the highest in cereal-based meals and biscuits as 15.5-11.1, 5.18-8.76, and 35.2-53.8 μg/kg, respectively. Newborns to 6 months old infants were estimated to be the highest exposed population to Cd and Pb (0.08 and 0.36 μg/kg bw/day), while infants aged 7-12 months old were exposed the highest to As. Based on the THQ, HI, and MoE findings, the current exposure levels from the selected baby foods to As, Cd, and Pb pose low potential chronic risks to both infant age groups. This research provides a roadmap for future investigations in chemical contaminants often detected in baby foods consumed regularly by Saudi infants.

Keywords: Saudi Arabia; arsenic; cadmium; infant nutrition; lead; toxic elements.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors of this study claim no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Mean contents of toxic elements As, Cd, and Pb detected in baby foods based on lower bound (LB), middle bound (MB), and upper bound (UB) approaches. (a) Contents of contaminants detected in stage 1 infant formula. (b) Contents of contaminants detected in stage 2 infant formula. (c) Contents of contaminants detected in cereal‐based meals. (d) Contents of contaminants detected in cereal‐based biscuits. Data are presented using t test and Kruskal–Wallis test as mean and standard deviation (SD) (n = 4). a = lower bound (LB) mean content of contaminant, b = middle bound (MB) mean content of contaminant, c = upper bound (UB) mean content of contaminant. *p ≤ .05 was considered statistically significant.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Lower bound (LB), middle bound (MB), and upper bound (UB) of the estimated daily intake (EDI) of As, Cd, and Pb detected in selected baby foods. EDI is evaluated in baby foods for of (a) arsenic (As), (b) cadmium (Cd), (c) lead (Pb). All data are represented using Microsoft Excel 2016. a = lower bound (LB) mean content of contaminant, b = middle bound (MB) mean content of contaminant, c = upper bound (UB) mean content of contaminant.
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