Multi-element survey of infant foods (42/03)

• Aluminium, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, tin and zinc were measured in 189 samples of commercial infant foods (infant formulae, manufactured baby foods, desserts, rusks and infant drinks)
• Levels of these elements in infant foods and formulae were generally similar to those measured in a MAFF survey of infant foods published in 19991 and within legal limits where they exist.
• The independent Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) considered estimated exposures for infant consumers of these formulae/foods. It concluded that the consumption of infant foods sampled in this survey will not result in the intake of such quantities of any of the analysed elements as would give concern for the health of infants.

Metals and other elements can be present in foods naturally, as a result of human activities (such as farming practices and industrial emissions), from storage or processing of foods (such as tin dissolution from cans into canned food), or added intentionally (such as aluminium-containing additives in bakery products). The main route of intake for most of these elements is from our diet. Some of these elements are essential nutrients which we need to get from food for healthy functioning. Others have no known beneficial health effects, but all may be harmful if eaten in excessive amounts.

The FSA regularly monitors the concentrations of metals and other elements in food. Previous multi-element surveys of the Total Diet Study (which is representative of the average UK diet) have shown that concentrations of metals and other elements in food do not present significant risks to the general UK population2. However, estimates of dietary intakes for the general population cannot be easily or accurately extended to infants, as infants consume a diet that is different in many ways from that of adults and of children old enough to eat conventional adult foods. As infants grow and develop very rapidly in their first year of life, their energy requirements and so their food consumption is on average much higher relative to their body weight than that of adults and older children. This means that infants can have relatively much higher dietary exposures to some metals and other elements present in food than other age groups, when expressed on a body weight basis.

In addition, infants’ diets are made up of a more restricted range of foods, particularly before and in the early stages of weaning when the diet is made up entirely or largely of breast milk and/or commercial infant formulae. On weaning, solids are given, a large proportion of which may be commercially available baby foods. The composition of commercial infant formulae and baby foods can be very different from the foods that make up the diet of the general population and therefore information is needed on the levels of metals and other elements in these food groups. The range of infant foods is constantly growing and changing, so it is important that the Agency regularly up-dates its information on infant foods.

This survey was carried out by the Central Science Laboratory (CSL) between March 2001 and July 2002. It follows on from a multi-element survey of infant foods in 1999 and provides the Food Standards Agency with more extensive and up-to-date information on the concentrations of these elements in infant foods. This information allows trends in element levels to be identified and estimates of dietary exposure to be made.