Trace Elements in Food: Nutritional and Safety Issues

Highlights

• The introduction of new analytical techniques enhances the knowledge of ultra-trace elements in both food and food packaging;

• Trace element speciation is becoming fundamental for a better knowledge on nutritional and safety issues;

• Food data on TE provides the tools for legislators to set maximum acceptable limits for certain relevant species.

Dear Colleagues,

Trace elements are toxic if consumed at sufficiently high levels for long enough periods; hence, knowledge on trace and ultra-trace levels in food matrices and food contact materials is critical. This Special Issue aims to gather research studies for a comprehensive coverage of all aspects related to nutritional and safety concerns, such as a safe range of daily intakes, availability, food supplements, food stability, packaging, metallic nanoparticles, etc. We invite you to submit original papers that will contribute to potential topics including (but not limited to) sample preparation and analytical techniques for trace and ultra-trace determination, availability studies, speciation and regulatory requirements in food sectors, health safety and human biomonitoring.

Prof. Dr. Cristina Couto
Prof. Dr. Elisa Keating
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• trace elements
• nutrients
• safety
• toxicity
• foods

Title: Multi-Elemental Analysis of Edible Insects, Scorpions and Tarantulas from French (Online) Market and Human Health Risk Assessment Due to Their Consumption: a Pilot Study
Authors: Yulianna Holowaty; Axelle Leufroy; Clément Mazurais; Diane Beauchemin; Petru Jitaru
Affiliation: French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety
Abstract: Edible insects are becoming increasingly popular as protein alternatives to traditional animal-based products. As such, information on their elemental composition is important to ensure they are safe for human consumption. This article describes the development and validation of a rapid, reliable method for the simultaneous determination of 19 elements (Al, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Pb, Se, Sr, and Zn) in edible insects by inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) following closed vessel microwave digestion. The method was validated using three insect certified reference materials, namely black soldier fly larvae meal (BFLY-1), cricket flour (KRIK-1), and mealworm powder (VORM-1). The method was applied to analyze twelve different (whole) insect species. The maximum amount of each sample was calculated for As, Cd, and Pb with respect to their provisional tolerable daily intake values established by the Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization. Wherein most of the samples, except for scorpions and tarantulas, were safe to consume at large doses (1000-10 000 insects per day). Furthermore, most of the samples contained high levels of Fe, K, Na, and Zn, providing a preliminary overview of the nutritional profile of these novel protein alternatives.

Title: ARSENIC IN RICE AND RICE-BASED PRODUCTS IN THE ASPECT OF CONSUMER SAFETY
Authors: Monika Rajkowska-Myśliwiec*, Artur Ciemniak, Gabriela Karp
Affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Dairy Technology and Food Storage; West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
Abstract: Most articles on the consumption of rice and rice products come from Asia, where they are consumed in the largest quantities. These products can make a significant contribution to consumer exposure to arsenic. This article presents the level of total arsenic in rice and the most frequently consumed rice products available on the Polish market. The obtained results were related to the applicable maximum permissible levels of As in food. Moreover, the article assesses the consumer risk resulting from the intake of total As (tAs) from the tested products and estimates the exposure to its inorganic form (iAs). The arsenic content in the tested rice products available on the Polish market does not pose a threat to an adult. However, if consumed in large amounts, they may pose a threat to infants and young children due to an increased risk of cancer, developmental diseases and other diseases. The use of rice products in infants and young children should be limited to 150 g per week. You should include a variety of grains in your diet and choose products from a manufacturer that shows the lowest arsenic contamination in research and inspection rankings