Trace Element Levels in Packaged Ice Cream and Associated Human Health Risks: A Simulation-Based Analysis

Area of Science:

• Food safety analysis
• Environmental toxicology
• Analytical chemistry

Background:

• Packaged ice cream is a popular food product globally.
• Trace elements in food can originate from various sources, including processing and packaging.
• Assessing trace element levels is crucial for ensuring food safety and public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the concentrations of essential and trace elements (Ni, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Al) in packaged ice cream from Kırşehir, Turkey.
• To evaluate potential human health risks associated with consuming ice cream containing these elements.
• To identify potential sources of trace element contamination using chemometric methods.

Main Methods:

• Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) or similar techniques for elemental analysis.
• Chemometric analyses including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), correlation matrices, and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA).
• Human health risk assessment using Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), Hazard Index (HI), and Carcinogenic Risk (CR), with Monte Carlo Simulation for uncertainty analysis.

Main Results:

• Aluminum (Al) and Iron (Fe) were found in the highest concentrations, followed by Zinc (Zn), Nickel (Ni), Copper (Cu), and Manganese (Mn).
• Hazard Index (HI) values exceeding 1 for both children and adults suggest potential health risks from trace element exposure.
• High Aluminum-THQ and Nickel-CR values were particularly noted in children, indicating a need for stricter monitoring.

Conclusions:

• Consumption of packaged ice cream in the studied region may pose health risks due to elevated trace element levels.
• Chemometric analyses helped in understanding element relationships and potential contamination pathways.
• Regulatory bodies should consider stricter monitoring and potential interventions, especially concerning aluminum and nickel exposure in children.