Toxic and essential elements in Lebanese cheese

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Cheese is a staple food in Lebanon, with various local varieties consumed.
• Understanding the trace element composition of cheese is crucial for human health assessment.
• Geographical location and seasonality can influence the elemental content of food products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify 20 minor, trace, and ultratrace elements in four popular Lebanese cheese varieties.
• To investigate the impact of cheese type, sampling province, and season on elemental concentrations.
• To assess the levels of toxic elements against World Health Organization (WHO) permissible limits.

Main Methods:

• Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was employed for precise elemental analysis.
• Four cheese types (Halloumi, Double Crème, Baladi, Labneh) were sampled from five Lebanese provinces.
• Samples were collected during both wet and dry seasons to account for seasonal variations.

Main Results:

• Concentrations of 20 elements (Ag, Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Si, Sn, V) were determined.
• Toxic elements (As, Cd, Pb) were generally found below WHO safety guidelines for dairy products.
• Significant variations in elemental concentrations were observed based on cheese type, geographical origin, and sampling season.

Conclusions:

• The elemental profile of Lebanese cheeses is influenced by intrinsic factors (cheese type) and extrinsic factors (location, season).
• The analyzed cheeses generally pose no significant health risk regarding toxic element content.
• Further research could explore the specific factors driving regional and seasonal variations in elemental composition.