Dietary exposure to aluminium of the Hong Kong population

A total of 256 individual food samples were collected in Hong Kong for aluminium testing. Most of food samples were analysed in ready-to-eat form. High aluminium levels were found in steamed bread/bun/cake (mean: 100–320 mg kg^?1), some bakery products such as muffin, pancake/waffle, coconut tart and cake (mean: 250, 160, 120 and 91 mg kg^?1, respectively), and jellyfish (ready-to-eat form) (mean: 1200 mg kg^?1). The results demonstrated that aluminium-containing food additives have been widely used in these food products. The average dietary exposure to aluminium for a 60 kg adult was estimated to be 0.60 mg kg^?1 bw week^?1, which amounted to 60% of the new PTWI established by JECFA. The main dietary source was “steamed bread/bun/cake”, which contributed to 60% of the total exposure, followed by “bakery products” and “jellyfish”, which contributed to 23 and 10% of the total exposure, respectively. However, the estimation did not include the intake of aluminium from natural food sources, food contact materials or other sources (e.g. drinking water). Although the results indicated that aluminium it is unlikely to cause adverse health effect for the general population, the risk to some populations who regularly consume foods with aluminium-containing food additives cannot be ruled out.     

Aluminium in food and daily dietary intake assessment from 15 food groups in Zhejiang Province,China

Aluminium was measured in 2580 samples of 15 food groups and dietary exposure was estimated. Samples were purchased and analysed during 2010 to 2014. High aluminium levels were found in jellyfish (mean 4862 mg/kg), laver (mean 455.2 mg/kg) and fried twisted cruller (mean 392.4 mg/kg). Dietary exposure to aluminium was estimated for Zhejiang residents. The average dietary exposure to aluminium via 15 food groups in Zhejiang Province was 1.15 mg/kg bw/week, which is below the provisional tolerable weekly intake of 2 mg/kg bw /week. Jellyfish is the main Al contributor, providing 37.6% of the daily intake via these 15 food groups. This study provided new information on aluminium levels and assessment of aluminium (Al) dietary exposure in Zhejiang Province of China.     

Dietary exposure to aluminium from wheat flour and puffed products of residents in Shanghai,China

A dietary survey of 3431 residents was conducted by a 24-h dietary recall method in Shanghai, China, quarterly from September 2013 to September 2014. A total of 400 food samples were tested for aluminium concentration, including wheat flour and puffed products from 2011 to 2013. Probabilistic analysis was used to estimate the dietary exposure to aluminium from wheat and puffed products. The means of dietary aluminium exposure for children (2–6 years old), juveniles (7–17 years old), adults (18–65 years old) and seniors (over 65 years old) were 1.88, 0.94, 0.44 and 0.42 mg kg^?1 body weight (bw) week^?1 respectively, with a population average of 0.51 mg kg^?1 bw week^?1. The proportions of those who had aluminium exposure from wheat and puffed products lower than the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) were 77%, 90%, 97%, and 97% respectively from children to seniors. We estimated that the proportions of people at risk would decrease by 13%, 6%, 2% and 2% respectively under the new China National Standards – GB 2760–2014 National Food Safety for Standards for using food additives. The results indicated that aluminium from wheat flour and puffed products is unlikely to cause adverse health effects in the general population in Shanghai; however, children were at a higher risk of excess aluminium exposure. Significant improvements in reducing the dietary exposure to aluminium are expected in the population, especially for children after the implementation of GB 2760–2014.     

陕西省居民膳食中铝暴露风险评估

目的了解陕西省市售食品中铝污染状况,评估陕西省居民膳食中铝摄入水平及其潜在的健康风险。方法 2013—2015年在陕西省10个地市随机采集8类食品共计666份,按照食品中铝测定的标准操作程序进行检测,结合陕西省开展的居民膳食营养状况调查中各类食物的消费量数据,采用点评估方法,对陕西省不同性别-年龄组人群膳食中铝摄入水平及其潜在的风险进行评估。结果陕西省居民全人群膳食中铝平均每日摄入量为0.154 9 mg/kg BW,不同性别-年龄组人群以18~59岁女性摄入量最高,为0.178 5 mg/kg BW。当食物中铝含量取P97.5数值时,膳食中铝摄入量最高的人群是2~7岁儿童。各性别-年龄组人群膳食中铝平均暴露量(铝含量数据采用平均值)安全限值(MOS值)均1,偏高暴露量(铝含量数据采用P97.5数值)MOS值均1。2~7岁和8~12岁儿童膳食中铝摄入贡献率较高的食品是油炸食品和焙烤食品,其他组人群膳食中铝摄入贡献率前3位的食品均是油炸食品、凉皮和淀粉制品。结论陕西省居民不同性别-年龄组人群膳食中铝偏高暴露量已超过最新的健康指导值。女性和儿童是暴露量较高的人群,油炸食品是不同性别-年龄组人群膳食中铝摄入的最主要来源。     

Risk assessment of dietary exposure to aluminium in the Chinese population

In order to address the issue of excessive intake of aluminium (Al) from Al-containing food additives in the Chinese diet, this study conducted a dietary exposure assessment of Al in the general population based on the national surveillance data of Al content in foods and national food consumption data. It was found that the mean dietary exposure of the whole Chinese population to Al from Al-containing food additives was 1.795 mg kg^?1 bw week^?1, not exceeding the PTWI, while high dietary exposures (e.g., 97.5^th percentile) to Al were 7.660 and 2.103–2.903 mg kg^?1 bw week^?1 for children, respectively, both exceeding the PTWI. It was found that the dietary exposure to Al for 32.5% of the total Chinese population and 42.6% of children aged 4–6 years exceeded the PTWI. Wheat flour and wheat-based products are the main source of dietary A l exposure (85% of the total intake); and puffed foods are the major source of Al intake for children. These findings suggested that consumption of Al-containing food additives could be a health concern for consumers with high food consumption (97.5^th percentile) and children under the age of 14 years.     

Dietary exposure to lead by children and adults in the Jinhu area of China

This paper reports an estimate of the dietary intake of lead by children and adults from the Jinhu area in South-eastern China. A duplicate diet approach was used to collect food samples in November and December 2007. The lead content was measured by furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Median lead intakes for different groups were as follows: children: 1.65 µg(kg_bw)^?1 day^?1; and adults: 1.10 µg(kg_bw)^?1 day^?1. No exposure exceeded the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of 25 µg(kg_bw)^?1 week^?1 proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, median and maximum exposure for the children group amounted to 60.8% and 97.2% of the PTWI, respectively, which were higher than those for adults, which were 40.5% and 86.4%, respectively. It was concluded that health risks due to dietary lead intake seem to be high in Jinhu.     

北京市密云区居民膳食镉暴露风险评估

目的了解北京市密云区7类食品中的镉污染状况,对居民膳食镉暴露的健康风险进行初步评估。方法2014~2015年,在辖区内农贸市场、超市和食品店随机抽取7类,共368份样品,用石墨炉原子吸收光谱法检测镉含量,按照GB 2762-2012进行评价;并结合密云区居民膳食消费量数据和FAO/WHO食物添加剂联合专家委员会(Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives,JECFA)2010年制定的镉暂定每月可耐受摄入量0.025 mg/kg·BW对密云区居民进行初步的膳食镉暴露评估。结果 7类食品样品中镉的总检出率为61.4%,其中动物内脏的镉检出率及含量最高,分别为100%和0.05152 mg/kg。密云区居民每月膳食镉总暴露量为0.002204 mg/kg·BW,未超过暂定每月可耐受摄入量0.025 mg/kg·BW,主要来源为蔬菜(55.3%)、大米(20.8%)、动物内脏(14.4%)和蛋及蛋制品(6.4%)。结论北京市密云区居民主要消费的7类食品受到的重金属镉污染在安全范围内,膳食中镉暴露水平低于暂定可耐受摄入量,通过膳食摄入的镉对人体不造成健康风险。     

内蒙古自治区居民膳食中铝暴露风险评估

目的 了解内蒙古自治区主要食品中铝的污染现状,对当地居民膳食中铝暴露风险进行评估。方法 对2010—2018年内蒙古自治区食品安全风险监测中主要含铝添加剂食品的铝残留量进行分析,结合2012年内蒙古自治区居民食物消费量数据,按照性别-年龄组计算内蒙古自治区居民膳食中铝摄入量并评估其健康风险。结果 本次评估主要的含铝添加剂食品9类共1 083份,其中铝的检出率为69.44%(752/1 083),铝残留量均值为142.81 mg/kg,含量范围为2.50～2 950.00 mg/kg;全人群膳食中铝每周平均摄入量为0.692 mg/kg BW,低于食品添加剂联合专家委员会(JECFA)制定的每周可耐受摄入量(PTWI,2 mg/kg BW),高食物消费量人群膳食中铝每周摄入量为4.868 mg/kg BW,是PTWI的2.43倍;不同性别-年龄组人群膳食中铝每周平均摄入量均未超过PTWI,但各性别-年龄组人群的平均铝摄入量随年龄增加有降低的趋势。结论 粉条、油条中含铝添加剂超标现象严重,膨化食品、发酵面制品中存在含铝添加剂超范围使用现象。各性别-年龄组高消费量人群铝的暴露风险较大,相关部门需加强含铝添加剂超范围、超标使用的监管力度。     

Estimation of methylmercury intake from the 2007 Chinese Total Diet Study

Methylmercury intake for adult males of twelve provinces in China was estimated by means of the 2007 Chinese Total Diet Study. Methylmercury levels were measured in twelve food groups of each province of four regions and was only found in the aquatic food groups. The range for methylmercury contents of aquatic foods was 3.29–31.60?µg?kg^?1, being 50–87% of total mercury. Methylmercury intakes from aquatic foods for adult males of twelve provinces ranged from 0.003 to 0.138?µg?kg^?1?bw?week^?1 with average of 0.041?µg?kg^?1?bw?week^?1, which were estimated according to methylmercury contents and corresponding aquatic food consumption. Methylmercury intakes for the Chinese population were far below the corresponding provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI), which was established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Consequently, there was little health risk from methylmercury exposure for the average Chinese population.     

Content and Bioaccessibility of Aluminium in Duplicate Diets from Southern Spain

Aluminium is found naturally in foods and beverages, but levels increase notably during processing, packaging, storage, and cooking, as a consequence of its presence in food additives and the wide use of aluminium utensils and vessels. Dietary intake of Al was estimated in 2 population groups in southern Spain (families and university students) in a duplicate diet sampling study. Diets were sampled for 7 consecutive days, and Al was determined in acid‐mineralized samples with electrothermal atomization‐atomic absorption spectrometry (ETA‐AAS). Mean values for Al intake were 2.93 and 1.01 mg/d in families and students, respectively, ranging from 0.12 to 10.00 mg/d. Assuming an average adult weight of 60 kg, the mean dietary exposures to aluminium were 0.34 and 0.12 mg/kg body weight/week in these groups, which amounted to 17% and 6% of the 2 mg/kg body weight estimated as the tolerable weekly intake by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Bioaccessibility of dietary Al tested with in vitro studies ranged from 0.30 to 17.26% (absorbable fraction). The highest aluminium intakes were observed in subjects consuming diets with a low adherence to the Mediterranean diet, which were associated to high consumption of processed and canned food. On the contrary, subjects consuming diets with a high adherence to the Mediterranean diet patterns showed the lowest Al intakes. The present findings are useful for giving both a reliable estimate of total aluminium dietary intake and tolerable intake levels according to usual dietary habits.     

Dietary exposure to cadmium of Shenzhen adult residents from a total diet study

Cadmium (Cd) contamination has become a public health concern in recent decades. The aim of the present study was to assess the contribution of dietary Cd exposure and its health risk among Shenzhen adult residents using the Total Diet Study (TDS) approach. Cd was determined in 13 food groups using 276 individual samples by ICP-MS. The major food contributors to Cd exposure of Shenzhen adult residents were ‘Vegetables’ (32.6% of the total exposure), ‘Rice and its products’ (19.2% of the total exposure) and ‘Fish, seafood and shellfish’ (18.5% of the total exposure). The mean and the 95th percentile dietary exposure to Cd of Shenzhen adults were 9.9 and 13 μg kg^?1 bw month^?1, respectively. The dietary exposures of all individual age-gender population subgroups were below the provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI = 25 μg kg^?1 bw month^?1), so the health risk of Cd dietary exposure of Shenzhen adults is considered to be low, but still, cadmium pollution should be strictly controlled and monitored continuously due to an exceptionally long biological half-life of cadmium.     

Dietary exposure to chloropropanols of secondary school students in Hong Kong

This paper reports levels of 3-monochloropropan-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP) in a wide range of food items and estimates their dietary exposure for secondary school students in Hong Kong. Dietary exposure to chloropropanols was estimated using local food consumption data obtained from secondary school students in 2000 and the concentrations of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP in food samples taken from the local market. The dietary exposure to 3-MCPD for an average secondary school student consumer was estimated to be 0.063–0.150 µg kg^?1 body weight (bw) day^?1, whilst that for the high consumer was 0.152–0.300 µg kg^?1 bw day^?1. Both estimates fell below the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of 2 µg kg^?1 bw established by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and amounted to less than 20% of this safety reference value. The dietary exposure to 1,3-DCP for an average secondary school student consumer was estimated to be 0.003–0.019 µg kg^?1 bw day^?1, whilst that for the high consumer was 0.009–0.040 µg kg^?1 bw day^?1. The resulting margins of exposures were of low concern for human health. It could be concluded that both the average and high secondary school student consumers were unlikely to experience major toxicological effects of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP.     

青海省成年居民膳食铝暴露风险评估

目的 评价青海省成年居民膳食铝的暴露水平及潜在的健康风险。方法 利用2015—2020年青海省7类共499份主要含铝食品的铝含量数据,以及《第五次中国总膳食研究》和2010—2013年中国居民营养与健康监测中的食物消费量数据,采用点评估的方法,评估青海省不同年龄-性别组成年居民的铝暴露水平及潜在风险。结果 7类主要含铝食品铝的平均含量为72.210 mg/kg,最大值为1 220.000 mg/kg。总检出率为77.96%(389/499),总超标率为19.72%(57/289)。其中,即食海蜇的检出率和超标率均为最高,分别为100.00%(11/11)、90.91%(10/11)。青海省成年居民铝的平均每日暴露量为0.080 mg/(kg·d),占暂定每周耐受摄入量(PTWI)的27.86%,谷物及其制品对青海省成年居民膳食铝暴露的贡献率最高,达88.07%。不同年龄-性别组成年居民以≥60岁年龄组女性每日铝暴露量最高,平均为0.086 mg/(kg·d),占PTWI的30.05%。各年龄-性别组成年居民膳食铝中位暴露量(铝含量取P50)和平均暴露量(铝含量取均值)占PTWI百分比均＜1。结论 青海省成年居民膳食铝摄入的健康风险较低,谷物及其制品为主要贡献食品。     

Dietary intake of arsenic by children and adults from Jinhu area of China

The aim of this study was to estimate the dietary intake of arsenic (As) by children and adults from Jinhu area of China. A duplicate diet approach was used to collect diet samples in November and December 2007. The As content was measured by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The As intakes (median) for different group were: children: 0.6 µg kg^?1 bw day^?1 or 6.7 µg kg^?1 bw week^?1; adults: 0.5 µg kg ^?1 bw day^?1 or 3.8 µg kg ^?1 bw week^?1, none of which exceeded the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of 15 µg kg ^?1 bw week^?1 for As proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The median and maximum of the children group amounted to 44.7% and 125.3% of the PTWI; the values for adults were 25.3% and 118.7%, respectively. There were 3.3% of children whose weekly As intake exceeded the PTWI, and there were 6.7% of adults whose weekly As intake exceeded the PTWI. It is concluded that dietary As intake was safe for most people in Jinhu area, but the high dietary As intake for a minority of people in this area deserves attention.     

广东省居民主要膳食镉暴露风险的初步评估

目的分析主要食物中镉含量水平,对广东省居民通过膳食途径暴露镉的健康风险进行初步的评估。方法 2009年在全省21地市采集15类食物共2 200份,用石墨炉原子吸收光谱法测定食物中镉的含量,结合居民膳食消费数据,比照镉的暂定每月耐受摄入量(PTMI)及安全限值(MOS)初步评估广东省居民主要食物的镉暴露风险。结果 15类食物中紫菜中镉含量最高,为1 830.0μg/kg。城乡居民通过大米、蔬菜类、鱼虾类、动物内脏类四类食物每月膳食镉暴露量分别为1 314.6和1 394.3μg。大米对城市和农村居民膳食镉的贡献率最高,分别为50.1%和64.9%,且以粤北地区最高。结论主要食品对居民膳食镉的平均贡献水平未超过PTMI值,MOS值大于1,居民膳食镉暴露水平总体上安全。由于我国南方地区居民大米的消费量大及其对居民膳食镉贡献率最高,有必要加强大米可能的镉污染问题研究,并从源头上预防污染。     

Risk assessment of dietary exposure to tryptamine for the Austrian population

ABSTRACT

Tryptamine acts as a neuromodulator and vasoactive agent in the human body. Dose–response data on dietary tryptamine are scarce and neither a toxicological threshold value nor tolerable levels in foods have been established so far. This paper reviews dose–response characteristics and toxicological effects of tryptamine as well as tryptamine contents in food, estimates dietary exposure of Austrian consumers, and calculates risk-based maximum tolerable limits for food categories. A dose without effect of 8 mg kg^?1 body weight day^?1 was derived from literature data. Dietary exposure via fish/seafood, beer, cheese and meat products was estimated for Austrian schoolchildren, female and male consumers, based on 543 food samples analysed in Austria 2010–15 and on food consumption data from 2008. Even worst-case estimates based on very high tryptamine contents reported in the literature did not exceed 5.9 mg kg^?1 body weight day^?1, and thus were below the dose without effect. Maximum tolerable levels for food commodities were calculated for high-consumption scenarios (95th percentile of female Austrian consumers). For fresh/cooked fish, preserved fish, cheese, raw sausage, condiments, sauerkraut and fermented tofu, maximum tolerable levels were 1650, 3200, 2840, 4800, 14,120, 1740 and 2400 mg kg^?1, respectively. For beer, the maximum tolerable limit of 65 mg kg^?1 included an uncertainty factor of 10. None of the Austrian occurrence data exceeded these levels (in fact, only 3.3% of samples demonstrated measurable amounts of tryptamine), and just one report was found in the literature on a raw fish sample exceeding the respective tolerable level. In sum, dietary intake of tryptamine should not cause adverse health effects in healthy individuals. The assessment did not take into account the combined effects of simultaneously ingested biogenic amines, and increased susceptibility to tryptamine, e.g., due to reduced monoamine oxidase activity.     

Dietary exposure of Hong Kong secondary school students to total mercury and methylmercury from fish intake

Fish is the main source of dietary exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), which is a public health concern owing to its potential neurotoxicity. To evaluate the public health risk, this study estimated the total mercury (tHg) and MeHg exposure from fish intake in Hong Kong secondary school students. Median tHg and MeHg concentrations of 280 samples purchased from different commercial outlets (covering 89 species of whole fish and three types of canned tuna), together with the local food consumption data of secondary school students obtained by semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire in 2000, were used to estimate dietary exposure from fish intake for the average and high consumer (95th percentile exposure). For tHg, the median concentration was 63 µg kg^–1 (range 3–1370 µg kg^–1) and estimated exposures ranged 0.5–0.6 µg kg^–1 body weight (bw) week^–1 for an average consumer and 1.6–1.9 µg kg^–1 bw week^–1 for a high consumer. For MeHg, median concentration was 48 µg kg^–1 (range 3–1010 µg kg^–1) and estimated dietary exposures were 0.4–0.5 µg kg^–1 bw week^–1 for an average consumer and 1.2–1.4 µg kg^–1 bw week^–1 for a high consumer. These values are below the respective provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) established by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The health risk is greater for high consumers since MeHg exposures may approach or exceed the PTWI when other dietary sources are taken into account.     

Dietary exposure of Hong Kong adults to fatty acid esters of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol

A total of 290 individual food samples were collected in Hong Kong, China, for 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) fatty acid esters analysis. Most samples were processed food and in ready-to-eat form. The results show that the levels of 3-MCPD fatty acid esters were high in biscuits, fats and oils, snacks and Chinese pastry with mean bound 3-MCPD levels of 440, 390, 270 and 270 μg kg^?1, respectively. The dietary exposures to bound 3-MCPD of average and high adult consumers were estimated to be 0.20 and 0.53 μg kg bw^?1 day^?1, respectively. The primary toxicological concern of 3-MCPD fatty acid esters is its potential to release 3-MCPD in vivo during digestion in the gastrointestinal tract. 3-MCPD would affect the kidney, the central nervous system and the male reproductive system of rats. Assuming that 100% of the 3-MCPD was released from 3-MCPD fatty acid esters by hydrolysis in the digestive system, the dietary exposures to 3-MCPD for average and high adult consumers were only 10% and 26% of the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) of 3-MCPD established by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) (2 μg kg bw^?1 day^?1), respectively. The results suggest that both average and high adult consumers are unlikely to experience major toxicological effects of 3-MCPD.     

Dietary exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs of Hong Kong adults: results of the first Hong Kong Total Diet Study

Dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) covered by the Stockholm Convention on POPs. To assess the associated health risk of the Hong Kong population, the dietary exposure of the Hong Kong population and various age–gender subgroups to dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs was estimated in the first Hong Kong Total Diet Study (TDS), where food samples were collected and prepared “as consumed”. A total of 142 composite food samples, mainly foods of animal origin and their products and oily food, were analysed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like PCBs by the high-resolution gas chromatograph/high-resolution mass spectrometer (HRGC/HRMS) system. Dietary exposures were estimated by combining the analytical results with the food consumption data of Hong Kong adults. The mean and 95th percentile exposures to dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs of the Hong Kong population were 21.9 and 59.7 pg toxic equivalent (TEQ) kg^?1 body weight (bw) month^?1 respectively, which amounted to 31.3% and 85.2% of the provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI). The main dietary source of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs was “Fish and seafood and their products” (61.9% of the total exposure), followed by “Meat, poultry and game and their products” (20.0%) and “Mixed dishes” (6.95%). The study findings suggest that the Hong Kong population is unlikely to experience the major undesirable health effects of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs.     

Cadmium in the food chain near non-ferrous metal production sites

Dietary cadmium (Cd) exposure was estimated for adults living in Cd-contaminated areas close to non-ferrous metal plants and compared with dietary Cd exposure in the general Belgian adult population. To evaluate the contamination levels of locally produced food items, 35 fruit samples, 97 vegetable samples, 98 samples of potatoes and 53 samples of meat, liver and kidney of cattle, which had resided for more than 18 months in the contaminated area, were analyzed for Cd. Mean Cd concentrations in fruit and vegetables were 1.1- to 9-fold higher than in samples from other regions at ambient Cd levels. Mean Cd concentrations in bovine meat, liver and kidney were 2-fold higher compared to samples from animals in other regions of Belgium. The estimated dietary intake was 31.3 and 63.3 µg day^?1 for average and large consumers, respectively, in the contaminated area, compared to 17 and 38.3 µg day^?1, respectively, for the general adult population. Excessive consumption of locally produced food items in areas close to non-ferrous metal plants could result in Cd intake levels exceeding the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI).