Occurrence of 30 trace elements in foods from a multi-centre Sub-Saharan Africa Total Diet Study: Focus on Al, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb

Petru Jitaru (1) , Luc Ingenbleek (2, 3) , Nathalie Marchond (1) , Clémence Laurent (1) , Abimbola Adegboye (4) , Sètondji Epiphane Hossou (5) , Abdoulaye Zié Kone (6) , Awoyinka Dada Oyedele (7) , Chabi Sika K.J. Kisito (8) , Yara Koreissi Dembélé (8) , Sara C Eyangoh (2) , Philippe Verger (9) , Bruno Le Bizec (3) , Jean-Charles Leblanc (10) , Thierry Guérin (1)

1 LSAl - Laboratoire de sécurité des aliments de Maisons-Alfort
2 Centre Pasteur du Cameroun
3 LABERCA - Laboratoire d'étude des Résidus et Contaminants dans les Aliments
4 NAFDAC - National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control [Nigéria]
5 ABSSA - Agence Béninoise de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments [Cotonou, Bénin]
6 ANSSA - Agence ationale pour la sécurité sanitaire des aliments
7 LCSSA - Laboratoire Central de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments [Cotonou, Benin]
8 LTA - Laboratoire de Technologie Alimentaire [Bamako, Mali]
9 OMS / WHO - Organisation Mondiale de la Santé / World Health Organization Office
10 FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [Rome, Italie]

This paper reports occurrence data related to 30 trace elements in food composite samples from a multi-regional Sub-Saharan Africa Total Diet Study. Herein, 2700 samples grouped in 225 food composite samples corresponding to 13 food groups: cereals, tubers, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts/seeds, meat, eggs, fish, milk/dairy, oil/fats, and beverages from eight locations in four countries, namely Benin (Littoral/Borgou), Cameroon (Duala/North), Mali (Bamako/Sikasso), and Nigeria (Lagos/Kano) were prepared as consumed, pooled, and analysed using a validated method based on inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The occurrence data for Al, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb as regulated by the Codex Alimentarius are discussed herein. Although the levels of As, Cd, Hg, and Pb were above the limit of quantification, they were below the maximum limits set by the Codex in most samples analysed. A distinct feature was observed for cereals and tubers, as they were mostly contaminated with Al and Pb. A pilot study regarding the impact of using artisanal cookware (made from recycled aluminium) on the contamination of food samples was performed. Relevant contamination with Al and Pb when cooking tomato samples from Cameroon and Nigeria using artisanal aluminium cookware was compared to that when cooked using stainless-steel.

Mots clés: Trace elements; Benin; Cameroon; Mali; Nigeria; Sub-Saharan Africa; Total diet study

Domaines: Bactériologie; Virologie; Parasitologie; Cardiologie et système cardiovasculaire; Maladies émergentes; Maladies infectieuses

Petru Jitaru, Luc Ingenbleek, Nathalie Marchond, Clémence Laurent, Abimbola Adegboye, et al.. Occurrence of 30 trace elements in foods from a multi-centre Sub-Saharan Africa Total Diet Study: Focus on Al, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb. Environment International, 2019, 133, pp.105197. ⟨10.1016/j.envint.2019.105197⟩. ⟨hal-02466905⟩