Detection of selected trace elements in yogurt components

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Health

Background:

• Yogurt is a widely consumed dairy product, often enhanced with fruit components.
• Assessing the elemental composition of food products is crucial for consumer safety.
• Potential contamination of food with toxic elements requires thorough investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify concentrations of essential and toxic elements (Cu, Cd, Pb, Mn, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, Hg) in white and fruit parts of commercial yogurts.
• To analyze elemental relationships and potential exceeding of tolerable limits.
• To evaluate the safety of yogurt consumption based on elemental analysis.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 30 commercial yogurt samples (strawberry, blueberry, cherry flavors) from Nitra markets.
• Elemental quantification using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS).
• Correlation analysis of element concentrations.

Main Results:

• Higher concentrations of toxic elements, specifically cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), were detected in the fruit components of yogurts.
• In certain samples, the levels of Cd and Pb in the fruit parts exceeded established tolerable intake limits.
• The white, non-fruit part of the yogurts showed no contamination with toxic elements.

Conclusions:

• While the white portion of yogurt is a safe source of nutrients, the fruit additives warrant significant attention.
• Improved monitoring and processing techniques for fruit components in yogurts are necessary to mitigate risks associated with toxic element contamination.
• Consumer safety can be enhanced through stricter quality control of fruit ingredients used in dairy products.