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Spinach

Completeness scorecard

Deterministic gap audit — no score is composite, no cell is LLM-judged. Each chip is re-derivable by re-running tools/evidence/build-ingredient-scorecard.mjs. review: residuals and missing data are worked autonomously via data/evidence/ingredient-scorecard-review-flags.csv and wiki/completeness-gaps.md.

DimensionStatusWhat’s there (auditable counts)What’s missing
D1 Analyte coverage (tier: occasional)OK6/10 HMTc analytes, total n=37labeled data-gaps: iAs, Sn
D2 Regional coverageOK22 jurisdictions, top US 19%
D3 Anthropogenic evidenceGAP4 irrigation-water + 3 agricultural-soil + 2 soil + 1 drinking-water; no supply-chain linklink a supply-chain/ hub page
D4 Background mechanismOKsection present, 4 drivers, 6 upstream source(s)
D5 Pooling depthTHINPb POOLABLE, Cd POOLABLE, tHg THIN, Ni THIN, Al THIN, Cr POOLABLE, tAs THINtHg: needs 1 more study(ies); Ni: THIN; Al: THIN; tAs: THIN
D6 SpeciationOKiAs, tHg, tAs declared
D7 Basis declarationGAP0/10 populated cells declare a basis token10 populated cell(s) lack a basis token: Pb, Cd, iAs, tHg, Ni, Al, Cr, Sn, tAs, U
D8 Provenance integrityGAP15 claims checked, 15 supported; 2 citations, 0 orphan, 1 foreign1 foreign citation(s) not naming spinach: fda-ctz-Pb-babyfood-2025
D9 MitigationGAP0 cited lever(s), 0 mitigation/ link(s)Mitigation options section empty/missing
D10 Regulatory coverageOK4 rule link(s), 6 metal(s) coveredunmapped analytes: Ni, Al, Cr
D11 Standards-readinessNOT-READYpriority: Pb, Cd, tHg, Ni, Al, Cr, tAs; pairing 0 paired, 7 single, 0 unpairedtHg: THIN, needs 1 more study(ies); Ni: THIN; Al: THIN; tAs: THIN; basis: 10 populated cell(s) lack a basis token: Pb, Cd, iAs, tHg, Ni, Al, Cr, Sn, tAs, U
Principle balanceflagconsumer-protection 0.83, contamination-reduction 0.00, brand-value 0.50, legal-defensibility 0.50, scale 0.25spread 0.83 — starved: contamination-reduction

Spinach is a representative leafy vegetable for which the EFSA 2009 occurrence data place cadmium concentrations in the range characteristic of leafy greens generally, reflecting the plant family’s efficient leaf-accumulation of cadmium from soil.

Heavy metal contamination profile

Per-analyte snapshot derived from the machine-readable contamination_profile in the frontmatter above. data gap indicates the literature has been reviewed for this commodity-analyte combination and no usable occurrence data was found (a finding, not a placeholder). The Key sources column shows the top 2-3 contributing sources by year and sample size, with numbered wikilink aliases.

AnalyteCoverageTypical (ppb)p95 (ppb)ConfidenceKey sources
Pbn=730–300800medium1, 2, 3
Cdn=10100–5001100medium1, 2, 3
iAsdata gap
tAsn=410–100low1, 2, 3
tHgn=21–20low1, 2
Nin=4200–1500low1, 2, 3
Aln=42000–10000low1, 2, 3
Crn=6100–800medium1, 2, 3
Sndata gap
Udata gap

Why this commodity accumulates cadmium

Leafy vegetables as a category concentrate cadmium in their leaves through transpiration-driven translocation from root uptake. Spinach is a more efficient cadmium accumulator than most leafy species because of its characteristic short harvest cycle, high water content, and leaf morphology that maximizes transpiration. Regional variation in finished-spinach cadmium concentrations reflects soil cadmium concentrations and phosphate-fertilizer use in the growing region.

Ranges by source, region, and variety

The dominant axis of variance in spinach cadmium is soil-Cd loading at the growing site, mediated by soil pH and zinc status. Spinach is among the most efficient cadmium accumulators in the leafy-vegetable category; EFSA 2009 places spinach mean Cd at the upper end of leafy-greens, with the broad leafy-vegetables category mean substantially lower in the same survey. Within spinach specifically, cultivar effects are documented: some commercial varieties accumulate cadmium more efficiently than others, and breeding programs have identified low-Cd-accumulator lines.

Growing-region effects in spinach track regional soil-Cd inheritance: regions with historic phosphate-fertilizer use, mining legacy, or naturally Cd-rich sedimentary rocks produce higher-Cd spinach than regions with cleaner agricultural-soil baselines. Hydroponic and greenhouse spinach can be substantially lower in Cd than soil-grown spinach because the nutrient solution is the controllable input rather than the soil; for HMTc-relevant supply chains targeting low-Cd spinach, hydroponic sourcing is a documented intervention.

Lead in spinach is a secondary concern. Surface Pb (from atmospheric deposition near roadways or industrial sources) is partially removable by washing; root-uptake Pb is bound in the leaf tissue. Spinach grown near historic Pb sources (lead-arsenate-pesticide-treated orchards, leaded-gasoline-era roadside contamination, industrial-zone proximity) can carry elevated Pb. The intervention is geographic provenance more than processing.

Processing effects

Spinach cadmium is incorporated into the leaf tissue during growth and is not removed by ordinary processing. Washing does not reduce leaf-Cd (surface dust contributes negligibly to total Cd). Drying or wilting concentrates the metals per unit dry mass without changing total mass-balance. Freezing does not change Cd content. Canning slightly concentrates per-serving Cd because of water loss during the canning process.

Cooking does not reduce spinach cadmium. Some water-soluble metals leach into the cooking water, but the leach fraction for Cd is small and the cooking-water-discard practice is not standard for spinach. For populations consuming large quantities of spinach (high-greens dietary patterns, infants on pureed greens, some traditional diets), the geographic-provenance lever upstream is the dominant intervention rather than processing.

For Pb specifically, washing removes the surface-deposited fraction and can reduce total leaf-Pb modestly where atmospheric or dust deposition is the dominant Pb source. Multi-rinse protocols reduce Pb more than single-rinse protocols. For Cd, the same washing operations have negligible effect.

Ingredient-derivative risk

Spinach-based baby food purees and infant-targeted leafy-vegetable products inherit the spinach cadmium concentration essentially unchanged after processing. Spinach is a relevant ingredient in the FDA Closer to Zero program for Pb (which applies to processed baby food generally) and would be relevant for any future Cd analogue of the CTZ processed-baby-food action levels.

Mitigation options

Pending. Cultivar selection, soil management, and rotational practices are the primary mitigation levers on the production side; blanching and discarding cooking water have limited effect on cadmium in leaf tissue.

Other metals of concern

Some metals not listed in this section because no ingested source yet covers their commodity-level concern; those will populate when the corresponding source pages are ingested.

Regulatory limits that apply

  • codex-cadmium-mls — Codex matrix-level Cd ML for leafy vegetables (pending ingest of CXS 193-1995).
  • eu-2023-915-cadmium and eu2023-contaminants-maximum-levels — EU maximum levels for leaf vegetables are 0.10 mg/kg (100 ug/kg) Cd and 0.30 mg/kg (300 ug/kg) Pb; spinaches and similar leaves, mustard seedlings, and fresh herbs have a specific Cd maximum level of 0.20 mg/kg (200 ug/kg).

Sources

Auto-generated from source-page frontmatter. The “Used on this page for” column is populated by the orchestrator’s POPULATE-SOURCE-LEGEND action; pending entries appear as *[awaiting synthesis]*.

#CitationYearTypeUsed on this page for
1Imongben et al. 2026. Determination of some heavy metals and their potential risk in selected vegetables on sale within Kaduna Metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria, World Nutrition2026Peer-reviewedNG Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo, Zn occurrence in 12 vegetable types (carrots, sweet potatoes, celery, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, avocado, peas, beans) purchased from… (n=60)
2Barber et al. 2025. Toxic elements in baby and young children’s foods in the US and correlation to ingredients, Food Additives & Contaminants: Part B2025Peer-reviewedUS tAs, iAs, Cd, tHg, MeHg, Pb, Tl occurrence in Non-targeted 2023 FDA convenience survey of 566 foods intended for babies, young children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers:… (n=566)
3Cardini et al. 2025. A novel approach for the identification of cadmium-chelating compounds in plant-based foods using SEC-ICP-MS/MS and SEC-QTOF-MS, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry2025Peer-reviewedCd occurrence in Seven plant-based food matrices: black-eyed beans, beluga lentils, tigernuts, basmati rice, sweet potato (cooked, dried, ground), beetroot leaves;… (n=7)
4Emmanuel 2025. Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination and Health Risks from Urban-Grown Vegetables in Kano State, Nigeria, ChemClass Journal2025Peer-reviewedNG Cd, Ni, Pb, Mn, Cr occurrence in Vegetable and soil samples from urban agriculture sites in Wudil, Nomans-Land, and Sharada, Kano State, Nigeria, collected January-March… (n=64)
5Saleem et al. 2025. Concentration and Potential Non-Carcinogenic and Carcinogenic Health Risk Assessment of Metals in Locally Grown Vegetables, Foods2025Peer-reviewedUS Cd, Pb, tAs, tHg, Cr, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Mn, Se occurrence in 82 samples of 13 locally grown vegetable types from the Town Square Farmer’s Market in Grand Forks, North… (n=82)
6Saleem et al. 2025. Concentration and Potential Non-Carcinogenic and Carcinogenic Health Risk Assessment of Metals in Locally Grown Vegetables, Foods2025Peer-reviewedPb, Cd, tAs, tHg, Ni, and Cr in 5 spinach samples among 82 vegetables from a Grand Forks, ND farmer’s market; spinach the highest accumulator across Cd, Cr, Pb, and Hg with 100% of samples exceeding FAO/WHO Cd limits
7See et al. 2025. Heavy Metals Assessment in Selected Leafy Vegetables from Selangor, Malaysia, Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science2025Peer-reviewedAl, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Fe by ICP-OES in 3 spinach samples alongside cabbage, mustard, and pak choi from Pasar Borong Selangor wet market; Cd, Cr, and Pb all below detection limits while Al and Fe highest in spinach (Al 41.37 mg/kg) within FAO/WHO limits
8Ewubare et al. 2024. An Academic Review on Heavy Metals in the Environment: Effects on Soil, Plants Human Health, and Possible Solutions, American Journal of Environmental Economics 3(1) 70-812024ReviewNG Pb, Cd, tHg, MeHg, Cr, Cr-VI, tAs, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn, Co, Sb, Tl, Mo occurrence in Narrative review article; no primary samples. Synthesizes literature retrieved from Google Scholar, Frontier in Microbiology, AJOL, Scopus, Web…
9Fatai et al. 2024. Concentration and Health Risk Assessment of Selected Heavy Metals (HMs) in African spinach (Amaranthus hybridus) and Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Grown around Ashaka Community, Gombe State, Nigeria, Journal of Chemistry and Nutritional Biochemistry2024Peer-reviewedNG Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd, Cr, Pb occurrence in African spinach and tomato composite samples collected around Ashaka community, Gombe State, Nigeria (n=2)
10Seyfferth et al. 2024. Mitigating Toxic Metal Exposure Through Leafy Greens: A Comprehensive Review Contrasting Cadmium and Lead in Spinach, GeoHealth2024Peer-reviewedUS Pb, Cd occurrence in Review of U.S. spinach surveys including USDA-FDA-EPA 1980s paired soil-plant study (n=105), FDA Total Diet Study 1991-2017 and…
11Wu 2024. Contamination of Heavy Metal(Loid)S in Cereals, Vegetables, and Legumes Purchased from Local Markets of Jiaozuo, China and The Associated Health Risk Assessment, International Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, 2(1): 180-2002024Peer-reviewedCN Pb, Cd, tAs, tHg, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn occurrence in 244 commercially purchased food samples from six supermarkets, six farmers’ markets, and one wholesale market across Shanyang and… (n=244)
12Wu 2024. Contamination of Heavy Metal(Loid)S in Cereals, Vegetables, and Legumes Purchased from Local Markets of Jiaozuo, China and The Associated Health Risk Assessment, International Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, 2(1): 180–2022024Peer-reviewedCN Pb, Cd, Cr, tAs, tHg, Ni, Cu, Zn occurrence in 244 retail food samples purchased from 13 sampling points (6 supermarkets, 6 farmers’ markets, 1 wholesale market) across… (n=244)
13Abdolahpour et al. 2023. The health risk assessment of heavy metals in vegetables grown in Babol city, Iran, International Archives of Health Sciences2023Peer-reviewedCd and Pb by AAS in spinach (mean 0.04 Cd, 0.48 Pb mg/kg fw) among eight vegetables from Babol, Iran; spinach exceeded Iran National Standards for both Pb and Cd leafy-vegetable limits
14EU 2023. Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 of 25 April 2023 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006, Official Journal of the European Union2023RegulationEU Pb, Cd, tHg, iAs, tAs, Sn concentrations
15Wang et al. 2023. Deterministic and Probabilistic Health Risk Assessment of Toxic Metals in the Daily Diets of Residents in Industrial Regions of Northern Ningxia, China, Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology2023Peer-reviewedCN Al, tAs, Cr, Cd, Ni, Pb occurrence in 187 samples (36 drinking water + 151 food) from villages and towns in industrial regions of northern Ningxia,… (n=187)
16Ali et al. 2022. Meta-analysis of public health risks of lead accumulation in wastewater, irrigated soil, and crops nexus, Frontiers in Public Health2022Peer-reviewedIN/PK/CN Pb occurrence in 24 studies from 13 countries (India, Pakistan, Iran, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Iraq, Morocco, Nigeria, North Korea, South… (n=24)
17FDA 2022. Total Diet Study Report: Fiscal Years 2018-2020 Elements Data, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Total Diet Study Program2022Government reportUS Pb, Cd, tAs, iAs, tHg, Ni, Cr, U, Sb occurrence in Composite TDS samples across 307 foods (3,241 food/beverage samples + 35 bottled-water samples) collected across six US regions… (n=3276)
18Sadee 2022. Determination of trace metals in vegetables using ICP-MS, ZANCO Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences2022Peer-reviewedIQ tAs, Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu occurrence in ten common vegetables from local markets in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (n=10)
19Sultana et al. 2022. Heavy Metals in Commonly Consumed Root and Leafy Vegetables in Dhaka City, Bangladesh, and Assessment of Associated Public Health Risks, Environmental Systems Research2022Peer-reviewedPb, Cd, Cr, and Ni in spinach alongside other root and leafy vegetables from Kawran Bazar market, Dhaka, across four seasonal sampling phases; leafy vegetables including spinach exceeded FAO/WHO MPLs for Cr, Cd, and Ni with HI >1
20Ullah et al. 2022. Health Risk Assessment and Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Heavy Metals in Vegetables of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Region, Pakistan, Biological Trace Element Research2022Peer-reviewedPK Pb, Cr, Cd, Cu, Zn, Ni, Fe, Mn occurrence in Nine locally grown vegetable types from three peri-urban D.I. Khan sectors: sectors X and Y irrigated with untreated…
21Clair-Caliot et al. 2021. Uptake of Arsenic by Irrigated Vegetables and Cooked Food Products in Burkina Faso, Frontiers in Water2021Peer-reviewedGreenhouse tAs uptake in spinach across four irrigation-water As concentrations (0, 100, 500, 1,000 µg/L) in Burkina Faso; spinach had the highest edible-part As at 6.6 µg/g dw at 500 µg/L, with steaming reducing cooked-food As 8- to 18-fold vs boiling
22EUFIC 2021. Aluminium in Food (Q&A): Sources, Safety and Regulations, European Food Information Council (EUFIC)2021NGO reportEFSA aluminium-in-food factsheet identifying spinach as a natural high-Al food source alongside tea, cocoa, herbs, and mushrooms; provides EFSA TWI of 1 mg Al/kg bw/week and JECFA PTWI of 2 mg/kg bw/week regulatory context
23EU 2021. Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/1323 of 10 August 2021 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of cadmium in certain foodstuffs, Official Journal of the European Union (OJ L 288, 11.8.2021, p. 13–18)2021RegulationEU Cd concentrations
24Kurniawati et al. 2021. Determination of several heavy metals in staple foods from traditional markets in Jakarta using neutron activation analysis, AIP Conference Proceedings (4th International Seminar on Chemistry)2021Peer-reviewedCr and tHg in spinach (including water spinach) by neutron activation analysis among 14 Jakarta staple foods from five traditional markets; spinach included as a vegetable matrix in the dietary HRI context
25U.S. House of Representatives, 2021. Baby Foods Are Tainted with Dangerous Levels of Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, and Mercury, Staff Report2021Gray literatureUS iAs, tAs, Pb, Cd, tHg occurrence in Internal company testing records (ingredient pre-shipment tests and finished-product tests) subpoenaed from seven major US baby-food manufacturers covering…
26Adebayo et al. 2020. Levels of heavy metals and their health risk assessment from wastewater irrigated spinach in railway quarters, Bauchi, Bauchi state, Nigeria, International Journal of Advanced Chemistry Research2020Peer-reviewedNG Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb occurrence in Wastewater and African spinach (Amarantus caudatus) samples from Railway Quarters irrigation farm, Bauchi, Nigeria (n=3)
27Schaefer et al. 2020. Cadmium: Mitigation strategies to reduce dietary exposure, Journal of Food Science2020ReviewFDA/CFSAN Cd-mitigation review citing boiled spinach at 117 µg/kg (FDA TDS 2014–2016) as the second-ranked food by mean lower-bound Cd; identifies leafy vegetables including spinach as a primary dietary Cd contributor
28Ahmed et al. 2019. Heavy Metal Contamination of Irrigation Water, Soil, and Vegetables and the Difference between Dry and Wet Seasons Near a Multi-Industry Zone in Bangladesh, Water2019Peer-reviewedBD Pb, Cd, tAs, Cr, Cu, Zn occurrence in Irrigation water, soil, and mixed vegetables from 3 industrial zone areas (Banglabazar, Kashimpur, Chandra) in Gazipur District, Bangladesh… (n=243)
29Chekri et al. 2019. Trace element contents in foods from the first French Total Diet Study on infants and toddlers, Journal of Food Composition and Analysis2019Peer-reviewedFrench TDS Al, Sb, tAs, Cd, Cr, Ni, Sn means for vegetable purees including spinach-containing products (as-consumed); multi-element context not available in FDA TDS
30Ghasemidehkordi et al. 2018. Concentration of lead and mercury in collected vegetables and herbs from Markazi province, Iran: a non-carcinogenic risk assessment, Food and Chemical Toxicology 113:204-2102018Peer-reviewedIR Pb, tHg occurrence in Ten species of green leafy vegetables and herbs (Allium ampeloprasum L. [leek], A. wakegi L. [Welsh/Japanese bunching onion],… (n=160)
31Naser et al. 2018. Heavy metal accumulation in leafy vegetables grown in industrial areas under varying levels of pollution, Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Research2018Peer-reviewedBD Pb, Cd, Ni, Co, Cr occurrence in spinach, red amaranth, and amaranth from Gazipur industrial and non-industrial areas, Bangladesh (n=three leafy vegetables across three pollution levels)
32Jitender et al. 2017. Heavy Metals in Soil and Vegetables and their Effect on Health, International Journal of Engineering Science Technologies2017Peer-reviewedIN Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni occurrence in Vegetables grown on domestic-wastewater-irrigated farmland around Hisar district, Haryana, India
33Salhotra et al. 2017. Determination of heavy metals contamination in some vegetables and fruits samples from the market of Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh State, IOSR Journal of Applied Chemistry2017Peer-reviewedIN Pb, Cd, Cu, Fe, Co occurrence in vegetable and fruit samples from Jagdalpur market, Chhattisgarh State, India (n=ten vegetables and fruits)
34AMMM et al. 2016. Environmental surveillance of commonly-grown vegetables for investigating potential lead and chromium contamination intensification in Bangladesh, SpringerPlus2016Peer-reviewedBD Pb, Cd, Cr occurrence in Commonly grown vegetables collected across all 64 districts of Bangladesh: white potato, green cabbage, red spinach, white radish,… (n=292)
35Sharma et al. 2016. Heavy metals in vegetables: screening health risks involved in cultivation along wastewater drain and irrigating with wastewater, SpringerPlus2016Peer-reviewedIN Cd, Pb, Cu, Co, Fe occurrence in Edible portions of 12 common vegetable types from three Amritsar, Punjab agricultural sites, collected in triplicate per vegetable/site. (n=108)
36Mohod 2015. A review on the concentration of the heavy metals in vegetable samples like spinach and tomato grown near the area of Amba Nalla of Amravati City, International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology2015Peer-reviewedIN Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn occurrence in spinach leaf and tomato grown near Amba Nalla, Amravati City, India (n=not reported in abstract)
37Salawu et al. 2015. Determination of some selected heavy metals in spinach and irrigated water from Samaru Area within Gusau Metropolis in Zamfara State, Nigeria, Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Sciences2015Peer-reviewedNG Pb, Cd, Fe, Cu, Zn occurrence in spinach and irrigation water from Samaru Area, Gusau Metropolis, Zamfara State, Nigeria (n=triplicate measurements)
38Zemanova et al. 2015. Changes in the contents of amino acids and the profile of fatty acids in response to cadmium contamination in spinach, Plant, Soil and Environment2015Peer-reviewedCZ Cd occurrence in Spinach cv. Matador grown in a controlled pot experiment in Prague with four Cd soil-dose treatments and four… (n=96)
39EFSA 2009. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain on a request from the European Commission on cadmium in food, The EFSA Journal2009Government reportEFSA dietary Cd exposure assessment; spinach identified as high-Cd vegetable (up to 0.2 mg/kg FW in EU surveys); Cd-exposure-driver framing for leafy greens

Page history

The five most recent substantive edits to this page. The full version history lives in git; when DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.

CommitDateDescription
b0f3d382026-06-12batch | corpus rescreen b04 old terminal skips