The Toxicological Risk Assessment of Trace Elements (Co, Cu, Fe, and Zn) in Snacks from Ijebu Ode, Ogun State,...

Snacks or junk foods are a form of relatively small, packaged, ready-to-eat fast foods, usually taken not as a regular, but as a stopgap. However, contamination of snacks with trace elemental impurities may pose serious health risk to consumers. The main objective of the present study is to assess the toxicological risk of trace elements TEs (Co, Cu, Fe, and Zn) in commonly consumed snack/junk foods from Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Southwest, Nigeria. A total of sixty snack food samples were purchased and assayed in replicates for Co, Cu, Fe, and Zn using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Trace elements data were manipulated for simple descriptive and inferential statistics. The toxicological risk of metals was estimated for average daily dose (ADD), hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and cancer risk (CR). Results showed Fe as the most abundant TE in the snacks showing insignificant mean concentrations (p > 0.05) varying from 38.10 ± 1.98 mg kg^-1 (potato chip) to 71.25 ± 14.68 mg kg^-1 (cashew nut). Cashew nut had the highest amounts of the TEs. The HQs of Co in all the snacks except corn flakes consumed by children were greater than the threshold limit of 1.0, indicating non-carcinogenic adverse effects. The CRs of Co in all the food samples exceeded the acceptable limit of 1.0 × 10^-4, suggesting possible development of cancer by the consumers. Co is a trace metal of health issues in the snack/junk foods. This study therefore recommends periodic monitoring and toxicological assessment of metals in snacks, especially the raw materials and processing feedstocks.