Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Other Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Department of Health Informatics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Other Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Aug 13;24(1):2204. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-19695-0.
Nowadays, food safety is regarded as one of the most critical global public health issues. Edible oil, a key ingredient in food processing, is widely used and consumed in every Ethiopian household. However, its safety is often overlooked. Currently, edible oil is produced in Ethiopia from small-scale operations to large industrial levels, as well as imported from other countries.
This study aimed to determine the levels of heavy metals and essential minerals in edible vegetable oils produced and marketed in Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia.
A laboratory-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to July 2021 in Gondar City. Seventeen edible oil samples were collected using simple random sampling techniques. Heavy metal content was determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer with the standard procedures and techniques after microwave digestion. The efficiency and validity of the method used were evaluated by determining the limit of detection (LOD), the limit of quantification (LOQ), accuracy, and precision. The collected data were entered into Microsoft Excel and transported to Stata for analysis.
A total of seventeen vegetable oil samples were analyzed. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by recovery studies, which ranged from 81 to 115%, and the relative standard deviations were found to be below 15%. The concentrations of Zn, Cu, Fe, Cd, and Pb were in the range of 0.07 to 0.8 mg/l, 0.002 to 0.06 mg/l, 0.01 to 0.8 mg/l, 0.08 to 0.18 mg/l, and 0.003 to 0.27 mg/l, respectively. In general, the lead and cadmium content was higher than other metals in some of the investigated edible vegetable oils. Most values fell within the permissible quality limits for edibility as prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). However, the levels of Pb and Cd exceeded the reference levels in some locally produced vegetable oils.
To address the exceeded levels of heavy metals, it is imperative to implement more careful handling, processing of raw materials, and filtering practices. Producers and marketers should take the necessary precautions to prevent contamination. Strict regulatory control from responsible bodies and stakeholders is recommended to ensure the safety and metal contents of vegetable oils originating from the study area.
如今，食品安全被视为全球最重要的公共卫生问题之一。食用油作为食品加工的关键原料，在每个埃塞俄比亚家庭中都被广泛使用和消费。然而，其安全性往往被忽视。目前，埃塞俄比亚的食用油生产既有小规模的操作，也有大规模的工业生产，还有从其他国家进口的食用油。
本研究旨在确定在埃塞俄比亚西北部贡德尔市生产和销售的食用植物油中重金属和必需矿物质的含量。
本实验室横断面研究于 2021 年 5 月至 7 月在贡德尔市进行。采用简单随机抽样技术采集了 17 份食用油样本。采用微波消解后的原子吸收分光光度法测定重金属含量，按照标准程序和技术进行。通过测定检出限（LOD）、定量限（LOQ）、准确度和精密度来评估方法的效率和有效性。将收集的数据输入 Microsoft Excel 并传输到 Stata 进行分析。
共分析了 17 种植物油样本。通过回收率研究评估了方法的准确性，回收率范围为 81%至 115%，相对标准偏差低于 15%。锌、铜、铁、镉和铅的浓度范围分别为 0.07 至 0.8mg/L、0.002 至 0.06mg/L、0.01 至 0.8mg/L、0.08 至 0.18mg/L 和 0.003 至 0.27mg/L。一般来说，在所研究的一些食用植物油中，铅和镉的含量高于其他金属。大多数值均在世界卫生组织（WHO）和国家食品药品监督管理局（NAFDAC）规定的可食用质量限值范围内。然而，在一些本地生产的植物油中，Pb 和 Cd 的含量超过了参考水平。
为了解决重金属超标问题，必须更加小心地处理、加工原材料和过滤。生产者和销售者应采取必要的预防措施防止污染。建议由负责机构和利益相关者实施严格的监管控制，以确保研究区域来源的植物油的安全性和金属含量。
