For parents, one of the most fundamental jobs is keeping their children safe. With busy lives and not much time to spare, parents often put their trust in pre-made food, manufactured outside of the home. Parents expect these foods to be safe for their children to eat, but what happens when they aren’t? This article will explore the issue of heavy metals being found in baby food, and how ICP analysis can help to prevent this issue.
What Metals are Present in Baby Food?
Recently, samples of baby food have been found to contain alarming levels of inorganic arsenic, cadmium, and lead. Heavy metals are often found in foods because of contaminated water or ingredients, however, the levels present in baby food are concerning. As babies and young children have not achieved their full brain development, these materials can cause irreparable damage.
Heavy metal food poisoning is usually something that builds up slowly over time through frequent exposure. When babies are fed with this food every day or even infrequently, the levels can become dangerous for their small bodies very quickly.
Experts are now calling for companies who produce baby food to take further action to reduce the levels of heavy metals in the foods they produce.
How Can Companies Test for Heavy Metals?
In all food, but particularly baby food, exposure must be limited. Regular, high-sensitivity testing of foods is critical across the entire food supply chain. Recently, analytical technologies have seen significant advancements in efficiency, sensitivity, and availability.
Two of the most commonly used technologies for heavy metal testing include inductively coupled plasma. They are ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy) and ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. These new methods of ICP analysis are enhancing sensitivity for heavy metal detection.
ICP-OES
ICP-OES is a form of ICP analysis that determines the composition of elements in samples using plasma and a spectrometer. This method of ICP analysis is extremely reliable with high throughput and multi-element options.
ICP-MS
ICP-MS is a form of ICP analysis that can detect elements of the periodic table at nanogram levels per liter. It is employed in a range of industries and is a popular method due to its reliability when measuring low concentrations.
ICP Analysis Methods for Analyzing Baby Food
ICP analysis can test a variety of food samples accurately for elements that are present at trace levels. ICP analysis can take place throughout the food production line, ensuring the health of consumers is not compromised.
Certified Reference Materials for ICP Analysis
The quality of ICP analysis for testing baby food is dependent on the use of certified reference materials. This ensures the overall quality of analysis and allows confidence for the user that the analysis will meet authorities’ standards.
To find out more about enhancing the accuracy of ICP analysis of baby food, get in touch with the team at Inorganic Ventures today.