Occurrence and health risk assessment of selected metals in commercially available infant formulas in Jordan.

BACKGROUND

Infant formulas are the primary source of nutrition for infants and babies when breastfeeding is unavailable, as they are enriched with a variety of macro- and micronutrients to improve their nutritional value and satisfy the different needs of babies. Recently, there has been a rising concern about toxic metal levels in infant formulas, as highlighted by various studies. However, there are currently no sufficient studies focusing on toxic metal levels of infant formulas in Jordan. The current study aims to determine the levels of 25 metals, including Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Li, Ti, V, Ga, Sr, Ag, Ba, Bi, Th, U, Al, Cd, In, and Pb, in infant formulas (starter infant formula, follow-on formula, and growing-up formula) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and evaluate their safety and quality.

METHODS

The metal compositions of 37 infant formula samples collected from different Jordanian pharmacies were determined using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after digesting the samples with 9 mL of HNO (70 %) and 3 mL of HO (30 %) using the microwave-assisted digestion technique. The possible health risks associated with the exposure to Cd, Pb, Al, and Ni in infant formulas were evaluated using estimated daily intake, target hazard quotient, and hazard index calculations. Also, method validation, including accuracy, precision, limit of detection, and limit of quantification, was performed.

RESULTS

The results revealed that follow-on formula (intended for 7-12-month-old babies) had the highest mean concentration of all studied metals, except for zinc, which had the highest mean concentration in starter infant formula (intended for less than 6-month-old babies). Also, 72.97 % and 89.20 % of the tested samples had Pb and Cd levels that exceeded the European permissible limit, respectively. Regarding the estimated daily intake (EDI), babies aged 7-12 months were found to be the most exposed to Cd and Pb toxicity, while babies aged less than 6 months were found to be the most exposed to Ni toxicity. Unfortunately, the overall non-carcinogenic negative adverse effects (hazard index HI) of Cd and Pb for babies aged 7-12 months exceeded the acceptable threshold of 1.

CONCLUSION

Based on the results, the consumption of infant formulas sold in Jordan may pose serious health risks to babies, with Cd and Pb levels in follow-on formulas (posing the highest risk). The source of contamination in infant formulas may be contaminated raw materials, the manufacturing process, packaging, or storage. So, strict regulations ought to be established to safeguard the health of babies.