Determination of Heavy Metals in Egyptian Infants Formulas, Weaning Foods and Some Breakfast Foods.

Abstract

Concentrations of fourteen trace elements were determined by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists Methods, in some commercial infant formulas, weaning food, and breakfast foods samples, collected from different supermarkets and pharmacies in Cairo, Egypt from 2007 to 2008. The average concentrations of the macro, micro and heavy metals, detected in samples on the basis of dry weight, were 0.67 mg kg-1 for cadmium, 1.84 mg kg-1 for chromium, 8.21 mg Kg-1 for copper, 33.86 mg Kg-1 for Zinc, 15.5 1 mg Kg-1 for Aluminum, 112.14 mg Kg-1 for Iron, 0.047 mg Kg-1 for silver, 0.0 mg Kg-1 for mercury and arsenic, 0.22 mg Kg-1 for tin, 0.03 mg kg-1 for lead, 18.09 mg Kg-1 for manganese, 0.89 mg Kg-1 for nickel and 0.068 for sodium. The results demonstrated that low concentrations of most of heavy metals were found in baby foods and breakfast foods samples under investigation. The levels of lead and arsenic were within acceptable levels for infants consumption as recommended by the Egyptian Standards, while copper concentrations were within the maximum residual levels recommended. The mean lead concentration was 0.032 mg kg-1 slightly higher than the limit of lead in infant formulas of EC Regulation (0.02 mg kg-1). The effect of dry yeast on the concentrations of heavy metals for examined infants formulas were studied.