Overview
This study measured heavy metals, essential elements, and minerals in 20 commercial infant formula samples collected from pharmacies and supermarkets in Malatya, Turkey. The HMT&C-relevant values are Al and Pb in powdered formula, with Fe, Zn, Mg, Ca, K, and Na reported for nutritional context.
Key numbers
Age-group mean concentrations in infant formula (Table III; mean +/- SD):
| Element | 0-6 months (n=10) | 7-12 months (n=10) |
|---|---|---|
| Al | 1.29 +/- 0.66 ug/g | 1.54 +/- 0.35 ug/g |
| Pb | 0.16 +/- 0.02 ug/g | 0.18 +/- 0.08 ug/g |
| Fe | 61.34 +/- 13.72 ug/g | 72.6 +/- 4.05 ug/g |
| Zn | 29.72 +/- 4.04 ug/g | 34.64 +/- 6.32 ug/g |
| Mg | 0.51 +/- 0.08 mg/g | 0.50 +/- 0.15 mg/g |
| Ca | 4.19 +/- 0.45 mg/g | 4.35 +/- 0.96 mg/g |
| K | 6.53 +/- 1.09 mg/g | 6.08 +/- 2.27 mg/g |
| Na | 0.95 +/- 0.19 mg/g | 1.89 +/- 0.75 mg/g |
Source-reported method performance and exposure framing:
- LOD/LOQ were 1.90/6.35 ug/g for Al, 0.01/0.02 ug/g for Pb, 0.33/1.12 ug/g for Fe, 0.16/0.53 ug/g for Zn, and 0.07/0.24 ug/g for Mg.
- The paper states that none of the samples contained Al or Pb in amounts representing a health hazard for infants.
- Calculated daily intake for 0-6 month infants was 19.4 ug/kg bw/day Al and 2.4 ug/kg bw/day Pb.
- Calculated daily intake for 7-12 month infants was 23.1 ug/kg bw/day Al and 2.7 ug/kg bw/day Pb.
Methods (brief)
Twenty infant formula samples from five manufacturers were collected from pharmacies and supermarkets in Malatya, Turkey. Samples were dried at 105 C for 24 hours. About 0.50 g sample or NIST-SRM 8418 Wheat Gluten was microwave digested in Teflon vessels with 7 mL concentrated nitric acid and 1 mL hydrogen peroxide, then diluted to 25 mL. Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, and Zn were measured by flame AAS and Pb by graphite furnace AAS using a PerkinElmer AAnalyst 800 system. Microwave digestion used a Milestone Start D closed-vessel system. Recoveries against NIST-SRM 8418 were 92% for Al, 87% for Ca, 93% for Fe, 89% for K, 97% for Mg, 96% for Na, 90% for Pb, and 91% for Zn.
Implications
Standards work: This is direct powdered infant formula occurrence evidence for Al and Pb in a Turkish retail sample set, split by age-labeled formula group.
Courses: Useful for showing how the same formula survey can support toxic-element screening and nutrient/mineral context without combining the two endpoints.
App: Provides powder-basis occurrence fields for Al and Pb in commercial infant formula, with Fe, Zn, Mg, Ca, K, and Na as nutritional context only.
Microbiome: Not addressed.
Wiki pages this source may touch
- Aluminum
- Lead
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Infant Formula Powder
- Non-soy infant formula
- Infant Formula Powder
- Infant Formula, Powder (Non-Soy)
- Infant Formula Dairy
Verification notes
- Fresh auto-fetch ingest 2026-05-19 from the gap-driven infant-formula wishlist.
- Strict brand firewall: this page reports manufacturer count and formula age groups, but does not name or rank commercial brands.
- The paper reports total Pb and Al only; no arsenic, mercury, or chromium speciation issue applies.
- Methods vendor/equipment/reference-material names are retained under Part 12 Exception 2.
Update history
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