Assessment of the Risk of Contamination of Food for Infants and Toddlers

Overview

Journal Nutrients

Date 2021 Aug 10

PMID 34371868

Citations 9

Authors

Anita Mielech

Anna Puscion-Jakubik

Katarzyna Socha

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Infants and toddlers are highly sensitive to contaminants in food. Chronic exposure can lead to developmental delays, disorders of the nervous, urinary and immune systems, and to cardiovascular disease. A literature review was conducted mainly in PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus databases, and took into consideration papers published from October 2020 to March 2021. We focused on contaminant content, intake estimates, and exposure to contaminants most commonly found in foods consumed by infants and children aged 0.5-3 years. In the review, we included 83 publications with full access. Contaminants that pose a high health risk are toxic elements, acrylamide, bisphenol, and pesticide residues. Minor pollutants include: dioxins, mycotoxins, nitrates and nitrites, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In order to reduce the negative health effects of food contamination, it seems reasonable to educate parents to limit foods that are potentially dangerous for infants and young children. An appropriate varied diet, selected cooking techniques, and proper food preparation can increase the likelihood that the foods children consume are safe for their health. It is necessary to monitor food contamination, adhere to high standards at every stage of production, and improve the quality of food for children.

Citing Articles

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Baby Foods: 9 Out of 62 Exceed the Reference Limits for Acrylamide.

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Development of a highly sensitive method based on QuEChERS and GC-MS/MS for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in infant foods.

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A systematic review of contaminants in donor human milk.

Thayagabalu S, Cacho N, Sullivan S, Smulian J, Louis-Jacques A, Bourgeois M Matern Child Nutr. 2024; 20(2):e13627.

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Occurrence and dietary exposure assessment of heavy metals in baby foods in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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