Zmudzinska et al. 2022 — Heavy Metals in Ready-to-Eat Baby Foods, Poland
This 2022 Polish study assessed As, Cd, Hg, and Pb in 397 ready-to-eat products targeted at children aged 0.5–3 years sold on the Polish market. Methods: ICP-MS (As, Cd, Pb) and AAS (Hg). Wet weight basis.
Key numbers
Mean concentrations across all 397 products (µg/kg wet weight):
| Metal | Mean ± SE | Max (highest single product) |
|---|---|---|
| tAs | 1.411 ± 0.248 | 84.71 (wafer/crisps) |
| Cd | 2.077 ± 0.154 | 20.15 (fish dinners) |
| tHg | 3.161 ± 0.159 | 37.25 (poultry dinners) |
| Pb | 9.265 ± 0.443 | 138.99 (fruit mousse) |
Regulatory exceedance rates:
- Pb: 4.53% of samples exceeded applicable limits
- Hg: 1.5% of samples exceeded applicable limits
- As and Cd: no exceedances reported
Key observations: wafer/crisp snacks showed highest tAs; fish dinners highest Cd; poultry dinners highest Hg; fruit mousse single sample reached 138.99 µg/kg Pb.
Methods
ICP-MS (As, Cd, Pb) and AAS (Hg). Wet weight basis. n=397.
Note: tAs not speciated. Hg reported as total Hg; does not distinguish MeHg from inorganic Hg. The high Hg in poultry dinners is unexpected and warrants verification; poultry is not a known Hg accumulator — this may reflect fish-containing components in multi-ingredient poultry dinners.
Implications
Certification: 4.53% Pb exceedance rate across diverse baby food products is notable. Fruit mousse Pb max of 138.99 µg/kg is striking; may reflect processing equipment or high-pectin fruit concentrate.
App: Wafer/crisp snacks flagged for tAs; fruit mousse flagged for Pb; fish dinners flagged for Cd; poultry dinners flagged for Hg.