Variation in some heavy metals during the production of white cheese

The lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury contents in samples of milk, curd and white cheese taken from a production line were investigated. The lead, cadmium and arsenic levels were found to be 12.07±0.06 ng/ml , 1.82±0.01 ng/ml and 0.64±0.03 ng/ml in milk, 219.85±0.46 ng/g , 19.58±0.34 ng/g and 8.80±0.41 ng/g in cheese curd, 250.63±0.53 ng/g , 21.19±0.16 ng/g and 10.85±0.34 ng/g in fresh white cheese preripened in brine salted to 16%, and 260.25±0.51 ng/g , 22.87±0.17 ng/g and 11.35±0.29 ng/g in ripened white cheese, respectively. No detectable levels of mercury were found in any of the samples. Variation in the heavy metal contents of samples taken during the production stages was significant (p <.05). The heavy metal concentrations of the samples were compared with those obtained by other investigators in different countries.