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?
Lead in gluten-free flours was evaluated in a market-surveillance style laboratory study that compared 10 commercially available, plant-based gluten-free flours made from rice, pea, chickpea, soybean, and hemp (two brands per flour type). The authors measured proximate nutrition (moisture, protein, fat, fiber, starch/carbohydrates), fatty-acid profiles, phenolic bioactives (total phenols, flavonoids, flavanones/dihydroflavonols), and—most relevant for HMTC—mineral and toxic-element concentrations using ICP-MS, including cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). The design explicitly tested whether products marketed under similar “gluten-free flour” positioning actually differ in composition by species and by brand, and it interpreted Cd/Pb results against EU maximum levels that apply to cereals/legumes (used as the closest regulatory benchmark because flour-specific limits are not consistently specified for these novel products).
Who was studied?
No human participants were studied. The “subjects” were retail flour products sourced from local markets and e-commerce in Zamora (Spain): chickpea (Cicer arietinum), pea (Pisum sativum), soybean (Glycine max), hemp (Cannabis sativa), and rice (Oryza sativa), with two commercial brands for each flour type, yielding 10 product samples in total. Each sample was analyzed in replicate for core compositional endpoints, and the study emphasized brand-to-brand variability within the same botanical category—an issue that matters for certification programs because heavy metal risk can shift with agricultural origin, soil conditions, fertilizers, and processing. From an HMTC perspective, this product-based sampling approach is directly relevant because it mirrors what certification bodies face: heterogeneous, multi-supplier ingredient streams sold under the same consumer-facing label.
Most important findings
Lead in gluten-free flours emerged as the most certification-relevant safety signal: Pb was detected in all flours, and multiple products exceeded the cited EU benchmark maximum of 0.2 mg/kg for cereals and pulses, including especially high Pb in one hemp flour (2.945 mg/kg). Cadmium was generally low and below the cited benchmark limits except for one pea flour that showed elevated Cd (0.289 mg/kg), indicating a potential outlier supplier or contaminated lot. Beyond toxic metals, the work showed large brand effects for minerals and nutrition, implying that “category-based” assumptions (e.g., “hemp flour is always similar”) are not reliable for compliance or risk screening.
| Critical point | Details |
|---|---|
| Pb detected broadly with multiple exceedances | Pb was present in every flour type; only chickpea (both brands) and one soybean sample were below 0.2 mg/kg, while one hemp flour reached 2.945 mg/kg, indicating high-lot contamination risk and the need for lot-specific certification testing. |
| Cd mostly compliant but one high-risk outlier | Cd was not detected in chickpea flours; most other samples were below cited limits, but one pea flour measured 0.289 mg/kg, exceeding the cited 0.04 mg/kg benchmark for dry legumes and representing a “fail” condition for HMTC-style thresholds. |
| Brand variability can dominate species effects | The study repeatedly notes statistically significant differences between brands within the same flour type for minerals and composition, consistent with variable agronomy, processing, and storage; certification should treat “brand/supplier” as a primary risk stratifier. |
| Hemp and soy: nutritionally dense yet higher monitoring priority | Hemp and soybean flours had higher mineral density and distinct profiles, but hemp also showed the highest Pb finding; HMTC programs should not conflate “nutrient-rich” with “low-contaminant” and should tighten incoming QC for these ingredients. |
| Rice: lowest minerals/bioactives, not lowest Pb by default | Rice flours were low in many minerals and phenolics, yet Pb was still detected, reinforcing that low-ash products are not automatically low in toxic metals and still require direct testing. |
Key implications
For HMTC, the primary regulatory impact is that Pb and Cd should be assessed at the ingredient level using sensitive ICP-MS and judged against explicit action limits aligned to cereal/legume benchmarks where flour-specific limits are absent, with clear fail criteria for exceedances. Certification requirements should mandate lot-based testing, supplier qualification, and escalation rules when variability is high. Industry applications include using this dataset to justify higher sampling frequency for hemp and pea flours and to require documentation of agricultural origin and contamination controls. Research gaps include limited geographic sampling and no longitudinal lot tracking, so HMTC should require ongoing surveillance rather than one-time qualification. Practical recommendations are to implement risk-tiered sampling, retain certificates of analysis per lot, and trigger corrective actions when Pb/Cd trends rise.
Citation
Vivar-Quintana AM, Absi Y, Hernández-Jiménez M, Revilla I. Nutritional Value, Mineral Composition, Fatty Acid Profile and Bioactive Compounds of Commercial Plant-Based Gluten-Free Flours. Appl Sci. 2023;13(4):2309. doi:10.3390/app13042309
Lead is a neurotoxic heavy metal with no safe exposure level. It contaminates food, consumer goods and drinking water, causing cognitive deficits, birth defects and cardiovascular disease. HMTC’s rigorous lead testing applies ALARA principles to protect infants and consumers and to prepare brands for tightening regulations.
Cadmium is a persistent heavy metal that accumulates in kidneys and bones. Dietary sources include cereals, cocoa, shellfish and vegetables, while smokers and industrial workers receive higher exposures. Studies link cadmium to kidney dysfunction, bone fractures and cancer.
