Haider et al. 2022 — Nutritional quality and safety of imported biscuits marketed in Basrah, Iraq
This peer-reviewed MDPI Applied Sciences study analyzed 36 imported biscuit samples (three types: cookies, crackers, and digestives) purchased in Basrah city markets, Iraq, from four countries of origin: Spain, Iran, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. The work measured nutritional composition (moisture, ash, fat, protein, fiber, carbohydrates), food safety parameters (water activity, peroxide value, HMF, acrylamide), heavy metals (Pb, Cd) and trace elements (Zn, Cu), and microbiological load. Cadmium was entirely absent across all 36 samples and all three biscuit types; lead was detected in all samples but remained considerably below the EU Regulation 1881/2006 limit of 200 µg/kg, with Spanish-origin biscuits showing the lowest lead values and Iranian biscuits the highest. Acrylamide content exceeded the EU limit of 350 µg/kg in multiple non-EU-origin samples, and yeasts and molds exceeded limits in five samples, pointing to food safety concerns beyond heavy metals for biscuits in this market.
Key numbers
Heavy metals and trace elements (Table 4, all values in µg/kg for Pb and Cd; mg/kg for Zn and Cu):
Lead (Pb) by sample mean (µg/kg):
- Cookies range: 2.07–14.27 µg/kg; Mean cookies: 8.11 µg/kg
- Crackers range: 3.18–29.97 µg/kg; Mean crackers: 11.24 µg/kg
- Digestives range: 2.75–24.29 µg/kg; Mean digestive: 11.27 µg/kg
- Mean by origin: Spain 3.12 µg/kg; Iran 15.35 µg/kg; UAE 8.13 µg/kg; Turkey 14.34 µg/kg
- Highest single sample: BSCr1-I (cracker, Iran) 29.97 µg/kg
- All samples considerably below EU limit of 200 µg/kg (EC Reg. 1881/2006)
- Country effect significant (p < 0.05); biscuit type and interaction not significant
Cadmium (Cd): Not detected (ND) in any of the 36 samples across all three biscuit types and all four country origins. Authors note this is consistent with prior findings from India and Greece; Egyptian biscuits have been reported at up to 0.12 mg/kg in a separate study.
Zinc (Zn, mg/kg): range 1.46–14.36; not significantly influenced by biscuit type, country, or interaction. Copper (Cu, mg/kg): range 1.41–9.46; not significantly influenced by biscuit type, country, or interaction.
Acrylamide (AA, µg/kg; EU limit 350 µg/kg per Reg. 2017/2158):
- Range across all samples: not detected (ND) to 1,421.7 µg/kg
- Mean cookies: 202.9 µg/kg; Mean crackers: 372.3 µg/kg; Mean digestives: 167.9 µg/kg
- Mean by origin: Spain 52.1 µg/kg; Iran 371.6 µg/kg; UAE 370.2 µg/kg; Turkey 198.7 µg/kg
- All Spanish-origin samples met the EU limit; multiple Iranian and UAE samples substantially exceeded 350 µg/kg (maximum single sample: BSC2-U cookie, UAE, 1,421.7 µg/kg)
HMF (mg/kg): Range ND to 62.08; extreme variability not significantly influenced by biscuit type, country, or interaction.
Nutritional composition: Fat content ranged 6.52–26.86 g/100 g; protein 2.06–13.54 g/100 g; moisture 1.42–2.52 g/100 g (all below 4.5 g/100 g WHO/FAO limit); ash 0.48–3.19 g/100 g (all below 3.5 g/100 g FAO/WHO limit). Significant labeling inaccuracies were found: in 25 of 36 samples the labeled fat content was lower than the analytically determined value, with differences reaching 622% in one UAE sample.
Methods (brief)
Atomic absorption spectrometry and flame photometry (Biotech Engineering, Nicosia, Cyprus) for Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu following AOAC method 965.09. Sample preparation: 1 g ground biscuit digested overnight in 12 mL HNO3, then treated with 4 mL HClO4 and heated from 50°C to 250–300°C; diluted to 100 mL with distilled water. Three replicates per sample. HMF by HPLC (Sykam S 1130, UV at 285 nm, Arcus Ep-C18 column). Acrylamide by HPLC (Cecil-Adept binary pump, UV at 225 nm, Arcus Ep-C18 column). Microbiological analyses used standard culture methods for TPC, S. aureus, E. coli/coliforms, Salmonella, Bacillus spp., and yeasts/molds. Statistical analysis by two-way ANOVA (biscuit type × country), Tukey HSD post-hoc, SPSS 13.
Limitation: study measures Pb and Cd only, not As, Hg, Ni, Cr, or other metals. Results represent the market in Basrah at one point in time (July–November 2021) and cannot be generalized to all biscuits or all Iraqi markets.
Implications
Certification: The finding that Pb was below 30 µg/kg across all 36 imported biscuit samples and Cd was entirely absent provides a regional baseline for the biscuit/cracker category. This is consistent with the expectation that baked cereal products derived from wheat flour carry lower Pb and Cd burdens than rice-based or cocoa-based products. The acrylamide data are outside HMT&C’s current analyte vocabulary but are safety-relevant for the product category.
Courses: Useful case study for a module on imported food safety in developing-country markets, illustrating that conventional heavy metal limits may be met while other safety parameters (acrylamide, microbial load, label accuracy) are not.
App: This source supports a low Pb risk flag for biscuits and crackers made from wheat flour. Cd absence across all samples (consistent with prior literature) supports data-gap-absent status rather than zero-risk claim.
Microbiome: Not addressed.