Assessment and Quantitation of ۲۸ Elements in Iraqi Infant Foods and Formulas Against Safety Limits

The present research investigated the occurrence and quantified ۲۸ elemental concentrations in commercially available infant food products from Iraq to assess potential health risks and adequacy of nutrition. Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used to determine the concentrations of ۱۹ infant food products, and a comparison to international safety limits and nutritional recommendations was undertaken. Elements were categorized as essential macronutrients, essential trace elements, toxic heavy metals, and other trace elements. Elemental concentrations showed significant variability, as determined by statistical analysis with a coefficient of variation ranging from ۲۳.۴ - ۲۹۲%. The most important outcome included severe contamination with toxic heavy metals, with ۴۲.۱% of the samples having higher lead concentrations than recommended by the FDA lead safety limit, with a highest of ۰.۰۸۹ ppm in the samples where the limit is ۰.۰۱۰ ppm. Cadmium was identified in all samples analyzed, and arsenic was found in ۶۳.۲% of the products. Nutritional analysis demonstrated critical deficiencies in key nutrients; calcium was found in ۱۵.۸% of samples and selenium in ۲۶.۳%, corresponding to only ۰.۵% and ۸.۷% of WHO/FAO minimum requirements. The combined impact of exposure to toxic elements and nutritional insufficiency places Iraqi infants at high risk, and this situation demands regulatory action, mandatory fortification policies, and strict quality control of infant food to protect their safety and nutritional adequacy.

کلیدواژه ها:

Contamination ، heavy metals ، Infant food ، Nutrition ، Toxicity