Clinical Pharmacist and Master’s student in Clinical Pharmacy with research interests in pharmacovigilance, behavioral interventions in mental health, and AI applications in clinical decision support. Experience includes digital health research with Bloomsbury Health (London) and pharmacovigilance practice in patient support programs. Published work covers drug awareness among healthcare providers, postpartum depression management, and patient safety reporting. 
Clinical Pharmacist and Master’s student in Clinical Pharmacy with research interests in pharmacovigilance, behavioral interventions in mental health, and AI applications in clinical decision support. Experience includes digital health research with Bloomsbury Health (London) and pharmacovigilance practice in patient support programs. Published work covers drug awareness among healthcare providers, postpartum depression management, and patient safety reporting. What was studied?
This research conducted a comprehensive chemical characterization of 30 essential and toxic elements in 25 different baby food products commercially available in Italy and produced within the European Union. The study aimed to conduct a dual assessment, evaluating both the nutritional contribution of essential elements, including manganese, copper, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus, and the potential health risks posed by non-essential or toxic elements, such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, and aluminum. The analytical techniques employed were Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), which provided high sensitivity for detecting trace-level contaminants. The estimated dietary intakes for infants were systematically compared against established nutritional requirements and international safety limits to determine the overall quality and safety profile of these products for infant consumption, thereby providing a critical evaluation of Italian baby food safety.
Who was studied?
The subjects of this investigation were 25 distinct baby food products purchased from major supermarket chains in Italy. These products were categorized into three primary groups: powdered milk formulas, which serve as a primary nutritional source for infants in the first six months; homogenized foods, which included purees of meat (rabbit, lamb, turkey, veal), fish (bream, salmon, seabass), cheese, and fruits (apple, pear, banana); and cereal creams. The products were manufactured in several European countries, including Italy, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, with some labeled more broadly as ‘produced in the E.U.’. This selection provided a representative snapshot of the industrial baby food market intended for children aged 0–6 months and during the weaning phase, offering insights into the elemental composition of diets commonly consumed by Italian infants.
Most important findings
| Finding Category | Specific Details |
|---|---|
| Essential Elements | Powdered milk provided the highest concentrations of K, Ca, P, S, Fe, Cu, and Zn. Cereal cream was the richest source of Si and Mn, while cheese had the highest Mg levels. The study confirmed that baby food contributes significantly to daily requirements, covering up to ~70% of the Adequate Intake (AI) for Mn, Cu, Fe, Zn, Ca, K, and P for infants aged 6-12 months. |
| Toxic Elements | Thirteen toxic elements (Cr, Co, Ba, Cd, Ce, La, Pb, Rb, Tl, Te, Ti, Th, U) were below the detection limit in all samples. Detectable toxic elements were Al, As, Hg, Ni, Sb, Sn, and Sr. Their concentrations were consistently low, with the highest daily intakes for any single element never exceeding about 86% of the relevant Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI). |
| Risk Assessment | The highest estimated daily intake (EDI) for mercury (from a cereal cream sample) reached 100% of its PTWI-derived safety limit. For all other toxic elements, the EDI was a small fraction of the safety limit: Nickel reached 85.7%, Arsenic 6.68%, Aluminum 4.58%, and Tin only 0.03%. Lead and Cadmium were undetectable. |
| Quality & Compliance | The measured levels of essential elements in powdered milk aligned with manufacturer-labeled values. All products complied with EU maximum levels for Pb and Sn, as none were detected above the strict regulatory limits set for infant formula. |
Key implications
This study has primary regulatory implications by demonstrating general compliance with EU safety standards, although it highlights mercury as a potential element of concern that requires ongoing monitoring. For certification requirements, programs should mandate rigorous testing for a broad spectrum of elements, with a particular focus on Hg, Ni, and As, even when levels are currently low. Industry applications include using these findings to validate sourcing and production processes that minimize toxic element contamination while ensuring nutritional adequacy. A key research gap identified is the need for speciation analysis for arsenic to distinguish the more hazardous inorganic forms from total arsenic content. Practical recommendations for manufacturers involve maintaining stringent quality control from raw material sourcing to final product, ensuring that nutritional fortification does not inadvertently introduce toxic contaminants, thereby solidifying the foundation for Italian baby food safety.
Citation
Meli MA, Desideri D, Sisti D, Fagiolino I, Roselli C. Chemical characterization of baby food consumed in Italy. PLoS ONE. 2024;19(2):e0297158. Published 2024 Feb 22. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0297158
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