Aust. Paediatr. J. (1979), 15: 16-19
Element and Trace Element Content of Baby Foods Including Effect of Ageing H. BLOOM,' I. C. LEWISand B. N. NOLLER3
Department of Chemistry, The University of Tasmania
Bloom, H. Lewis 1. C., Noller, 8. N. (1979) Aust. Paediatr. J., 15, 16-19. Element and trace element content of baby foods, including effect of ageing. The element and trace element contents of canned and bottled baby foods have been analysedgnd no excessive concentrations were discovered. In a small sample of over age cans metal contamination did occur but was not a health hazard except possibly in one sample where the lead content was high.
The Department of Child Health and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Tasmania have been investigating some aspects of the environment of children particularly with regards to trace elements. Infant milks have been analysed and the full report of the results will be published shortly (Bloom, Lewis and Noller in press 1978). Canned and bottled baby foods have also been analysed. Moisture, ash and nitrogen contents were calculated. Sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium contents were measured by flame emission or atomic absorption spectrometry as were also the minor elements, iron, copper, lead, cadmium, nickel and chromium. Foods containing fish were analysed for their mercury content. All nineteen of the foods received in the laboratory were prepared and packaged in 1975 and the analyses were done in 1976. The results are listed in Appendix A. There were no startling findings and the work has confirmed that the sodium content has been greatly reduced in all the foods. One firm very kindly provided twelve cans of old stock withdrawn from retail outlets. The ages of these cans ranged from 3 to 15 years and the majority of them showed evidence of corrosion as is shown in Table I. The full element analysis of these 'old' cans is available from the authors. The results show the high sodium content and high levels of some minerals in the 'old' cans. By chance the contents of four of the 'old' cans were somewhat similar to four of the 'modern ones' and so a comparison could be made to a limited extent. The analysis of these four are given in the following tables. The major elements show some differences between the old and the new cans but these represent a deliberate manufacturing change, for example the reduction in the salt content. With the trace elements the main changes have resulted from electrochemical reactions with the walls of the can and the solder. The changes are seen in the iron, tin, zinc and lead content. If the content of these four 1. 2.
3.
Professor of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry. The University of Tasmania. Professor of Child Health, The University of Tasmania. Post-Graduate Student. The University of Tasmania
Received August 14,1978.
elements is averaged out in all the new and all the old cans the results are as follows (Table IV). TABLE 1 Naked eye condition of 'old'cans
Contents 1. Strained vegetable soup 2. Strained beef and liver soup 3. Strained beef 4. Strained Iamb liver and vegetables 5. Strained brains and vegetables 6. Strained chicken and noodles 7. Junior lamb and liver dinner and vegetables 8. Junior vegetable macaroni and beef dinner 9. Junior beef and baby broth 10. Junior mixed vegetables 11. Rainbow fruit salad for preschoolers 12. Junior egg and pineapple dessert
Age
Coated
1962
1964
++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++
1964
++
++
1962
++ ++ ++ ++ ++
+ ++ +++ +++
1962 1972 1966 1964
1961 1962 1968169 1970
Stained Corroded
-
+ +
++ -
+ +++
+
DISCUSSION It is clear that ageing of cans increases the trace elements in the contents. The levels of contamination for all but lead are probably not important. However a level of 2.28 Vglg of lead found in one ten years old can, could be a hazard if such old stock was used regularly in feeding a young child. It should be stressed that the old cans tested were not obtained from retail outlets. Manufacturers remove unsold stock from shops after two years but some parents particularly with large families bulk buy and it is possible
17
ELEMENT AND TRACE ELEMENT CONTENT OF BABY FOODS
TABLE II Analysis (pg/g) of 'old'and 'modern'cans
Food and date
Na
K
ca
Mg
Strained lamb liver and vetetables
1975 1966
882 2408
724 749
733 717
Strained chicken and noodles
1975 1964
666 1995
196 161
559 60.6
Strained mixed vegetables
1975 1972
903 2625
599 1221
165 200
86.2 103
Egg and pineapple dessert
1975 1970
847 881
676 41 9
1053 684
112 92.5
154 108 75.1 34.3
TABLE Ill Analysis (p&g) of 'old'and 'modern'cans
Food and date
Fe
Strained lamb liver and vegetables
1975 1966
Strained chicken and noodles
1975 1964
Strained mixed vegetables
1975 1972
Egg and pineapple dessert
cu
Zn
1.7
2.08 2.18
15.10
2.2
0.19 0.26
3.69
2.1
0.41 0.49
Sn
31.7
116
163
2.1
2 0 . 2 -4.8 3 .O
5.1
1975 1970
1.9
518
54.4
0.28 0.34
8.68
5.14
4.67
Cd
m
0.29
0.009 0.003
0.1 0
Element and Trace Element Content of Baby Foods Including Effect of Ageing H. BLOOM,' I. C. LEWISand B. N. NOLLER3
Department of Chemistry, The University of Tasmania
Bloom, H. Lewis 1. C., Noller, 8. N. (1979) Aust. Paediatr. J., 15, 16-19. Element and trace element content of baby foods, including effect of ageing. The element and trace element contents of canned and bottled baby foods have been analysedgnd no excessive concentrations were discovered. In a small sample of over age cans metal contamination did occur but was not a health hazard except possibly in one sample where the lead content was high.
The Department of Child Health and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Tasmania have been investigating some aspects of the environment of children particularly with regards to trace elements. Infant milks have been analysed and the full report of the results will be published shortly (Bloom, Lewis and Noller in press 1978). Canned and bottled baby foods have also been analysed. Moisture, ash and nitrogen contents were calculated. Sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium contents were measured by flame emission or atomic absorption spectrometry as were also the minor elements, iron, copper, lead, cadmium, nickel and chromium. Foods containing fish were analysed for their mercury content. All nineteen of the foods received in the laboratory were prepared and packaged in 1975 and the analyses were done in 1976. The results are listed in Appendix A. There were no startling findings and the work has confirmed that the sodium content has been greatly reduced in all the foods. One firm very kindly provided twelve cans of old stock withdrawn from retail outlets. The ages of these cans ranged from 3 to 15 years and the majority of them showed evidence of corrosion as is shown in Table I. The full element analysis of these 'old' cans is available from the authors. The results show the high sodium content and high levels of some minerals in the 'old' cans. By chance the contents of four of the 'old' cans were somewhat similar to four of the 'modern ones' and so a comparison could be made to a limited extent. The analysis of these four are given in the following tables. The major elements show some differences between the old and the new cans but these represent a deliberate manufacturing change, for example the reduction in the salt content. With the trace elements the main changes have resulted from electrochemical reactions with the walls of the can and the solder. The changes are seen in the iron, tin, zinc and lead content. If the content of these four 1. 2.
3.
Professor of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry. The University of Tasmania. Professor of Child Health, The University of Tasmania. Post-Graduate Student. The University of Tasmania
Received August 14,1978.
elements is averaged out in all the new and all the old cans the results are as follows (Table IV). TABLE 1 Naked eye condition of 'old'cans
Contents 1. Strained vegetable soup 2. Strained beef and liver soup 3. Strained beef 4. Strained Iamb liver and vegetables 5. Strained brains and vegetables 6. Strained chicken and noodles 7. Junior lamb and liver dinner and vegetables 8. Junior vegetable macaroni and beef dinner 9. Junior beef and baby broth 10. Junior mixed vegetables 11. Rainbow fruit salad for preschoolers 12. Junior egg and pineapple dessert
Age
Coated
1962
1964
++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++
1964
++
++
1962
++ ++ ++ ++ ++
+ ++ +++ +++
1962 1972 1966 1964
1961 1962 1968169 1970
Stained Corroded
-
+ +
++ -
+ +++
+
DISCUSSION It is clear that ageing of cans increases the trace elements in the contents. The levels of contamination for all but lead are probably not important. However a level of 2.28 Vglg of lead found in one ten years old can, could be a hazard if such old stock was used regularly in feeding a young child. It should be stressed that the old cans tested were not obtained from retail outlets. Manufacturers remove unsold stock from shops after two years but some parents particularly with large families bulk buy and it is possible
17
ELEMENT AND TRACE ELEMENT CONTENT OF BABY FOODS
TABLE II Analysis (pg/g) of 'old'and 'modern'cans
Food and date
Na
K
ca
Mg
Strained lamb liver and vetetables
1975 1966
882 2408
724 749
733 717
Strained chicken and noodles
1975 1964
666 1995
196 161
559 60.6
Strained mixed vegetables
1975 1972
903 2625
599 1221
165 200
86.2 103
Egg and pineapple dessert
1975 1970
847 881
676 41 9
1053 684
112 92.5
154 108 75.1 34.3
TABLE Ill Analysis (p&g) of 'old'and 'modern'cans
Food and date
Fe
Strained lamb liver and vegetables
1975 1966
Strained chicken and noodles
1975 1964
Strained mixed vegetables
1975 1972
Egg and pineapple dessert
cu
Zn
1.7
2.08 2.18
15.10
2.2
0.19 0.26
3.69
2.1
0.41 0.49
Sn
31.7
116
163
2.1
2 0 . 2 -4.8 3 .O
5.1
1975 1970
1.9
518
54.4
0.28 0.34
8.68
5.14
4.67
Cd
m
0.29
0.009 0.003
0.1 0
