Overview
This 2019 Nigerian study measured Fe, Zn, Mn, Cr, and Co (essential trace metals) in 26 commercial infant formula brands from Port Harcourt, assessing nutritional adequacy. Note: only essential trace metals measured; no toxic metals (Pb, Cd, As) reported. Cr reported as total chromium.
Key numbers
Milk-based infant formula (n=9, dry weight, mg/kg):
| Metal | Mean ± SD | Range | LOD (ppm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cr (total) | 0.61 ± 0.70 | 0.06–2.08 | 0.005 |
| Fe | 4.08 ± 1.95 | 2.01–8.02 | 0.010 |
| Zn | 6.71 ± 2.10 | 4.58–10.41 | 0.060 |
| Mn | 0.15 ± 0.09 | 0.04–0.34 | 0.005 |
| Co | 0.12 ± 0.32 | 0.002–0.96 | 0.005 |
Methods
AAS or ICP (not specified in excerpt). Dry weight basis. n=26 brands total; milk-based n=9.
Note: Cr reported as total chromium. HMT&C analyte for Cr is Cr-VI (hexavalent chromium), which requires separate speciation. Total Cr in infant formula (mean 0.61 mg/kg = 610 µg/kg) cannot be compared to Cr-VI limits; the vast majority of Cr in formula is likely Cr(III) from milk/lactose, not Cr(VI). Flag but do not apply HMT&C Cr-VI thresholds to these total Cr values.
Implications
Certification: Total Cr data cannot inform Cr-VI thresholds. Fe and Zn are within expected supplemented formula ranges.
Wiki pages updated on ingest
Update history
The five most recent substantive edits to this page, classified major (evidence or structure moved), correction (a published value or statement was wrong and has been fixed), or minor (narrative rewritten without changing the underlying evidence). Each description is derived from what the edit did to this page; the linked commit is the authoritative record, routine regeneration passes are excluded, and 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.
| Commit | Date | Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| a8052bb | 2026-08-09 | major | 6 sections added; narrative text revised |