Determination of toxic elements in infant formulae by using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometer

Summary

This study measured Al, Cd, and Pb in imported milk-based and soy-based infant formulae purchased in Pakistan during 2005-2006. It is useful for Category 1 because it directly compares milk-based and soy-based formula powders and reports product-level Table 3 values.

Key numbers

• The pasted methods text says the study analyzed 17 imported formula samples described as 11 milk-based formulae and 6 soy-based formulae, but the pasted Table 3 lists 13 IMF rows and 4 ISF rows; this internal count conflict should be checked against the PDF image before standards math.
• From the pasted Table 3 rows, milk-based formula values were Al mean 1018.5 ug/kg and range 640-1520 ug/kg, Cd mean 7.86 ug/kg and range 4.2-12.3 ug/kg, and Pb mean 64.2 ug/kg and range 28.7-97 ug/kg.
• From the pasted Table 3 rows, soy-based formula values were Al mean 2270 ug/kg and range 1740-2720 ug/kg, Cd mean 11.7 ug/kg and range 8.3-14.5 ug/kg, and Pb mean 109.4 ug/kg and range 98.6-119 ug/kg.
• The paper concludes that soy-based formula contained higher average concentrations of Al, Cd, and Pb than milk-based formula.
• The authors estimated infant formula intakes as below the then-cited PTWI values, while still recommending monitoring and control of contaminants in infant formulae.

Category 1 concentration rows

Values are reported on a dried-basis ug/kg basis in the pasted Table 3, which is numerically equivalent to ppb for solids. These are source-scope means and maxima, not p90 values.

Ingredient and variance notes

The paper frames soy-based formula as a higher-concentration comparator for Al, Cd, and Pb in this sample set, and discusses soybean accumulation and processing or packaging differences as possible variance drivers. It does not provide a soybean-only ingredient occurrence distribution, so these statements should stay linked to Infant Formula, Powder (Soy-Based) and Soy rather than generalized to all soy ingredients.

Methods (brief)

Samples were digested using microwave-induced acid digestion and analyzed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. Certified reference material and standard-addition checks were used to validate the method.

Limitations

The source reports imported formulae available in Pakistan during 2005-2006. The values are relevant to the formula evidence pool, with jurisdiction and period retained as metadata for aggregate evidence review. The pasted source text contains an internal subgroup-count mismatch: the methods description says 11 IMF and 6 ISF, while Table 3 lists 13 IMF and 4 ISF rows. The table values should be image-checked before being admitted into a final standards calculation.

Implications

Certification: Useful for formula powder distributions, especially soy/non-soy comparison.

Courses: Useful example of geographic-market context and why jurisdiction weighting matters.

App: Supports soy formula and powder formula risk cues when paired with jurisdiction metadata.

Microbiome: No direct microbiome endpoint.

Wiki pages updated on ingest

• Infant Formula, Powder (Non-Soy)
• Infant Formula, Powder (Soy-Based)
• Infant Formula Ingredients
• Milk and Dairy
• Soy
• Aluminum
• Cadmium
• Lead

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.