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The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) monitors the presence and concentration of contaminants in food to mitigate health risks. EU legislation sets maximum levels of heavy metals in foods, including cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and total Hg (THg) in seafood, due to their toxicity. In the framework of official control, between 2014 and 2023, 5854 seafood samples were collected and 4300 analyses for THg, 3338 for Cd, and 2171 for Pb were performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS). The aim was to assess the proportion of contaminated foods in the dataset, the concentration of contaminants, and the potential health risks associated with their intake. Of the total samples analyzed, 142 (2.43%) were found to be non-compliant (n.c.). Concentrations exceeding the limits for Cd were primarily detected in cephalopods (n = 17), mainly squids. In contrast, Hg levels exceeded the limits in marine fish (n = 118), notably in swordfish (11.30% of n.c. samples among those analyzed for this species), sharks (6.48%), and tuna species (3.11%). Regarding Pb, only a single bivalve sample was found to exceed the maximum limits. A preliminary assessment of weekly exposure to Hg through swordfish consumption raised concerns about the frequent intake of marine top predators, particularly for vulnerable people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was carried out to determine the concentration of heavy metals and trace elements in milk and dairy products collected from local farms, supermarkets, or food retailers in the region of Lazio (Central Italy). Persistent exposure to metal contamination is of particular concern for human health, as it can cause different serious disorders. The monitoring of the matrices studied is therefore important, given their high consumption in the daily diet. The elements determined by ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry) were lead (Pb), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), molybdenum (Mo) and thallium (Tl), for a total of 151 measurements in 98 samples. The results showed that 11.3% of the measurements were quantifiable but below the legal maximum limits (MLs) set by EU regulations. The data obtained may be useful for dietary exposure information, inter-regional comparisons and for planning regional surveillance strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glyphosate is a chemical compound derived from glycine, marketed as a broadspectrum herbicide, and represents one of the most widely used pesticides in the world. For a long time, it was assumed that glyphosate was harmless, either due to its selective enzymatic acting method on plants, and because commercial formulations were believed to contain only inert chemicals. Glyphosate is widely spread in the environment, the general population is daily exposed to it via different routes, including the consumption of both plant, and non-plant based foods. Glyphosate has been detected in high amounts in workers' urine, but has been detected likewise in bodily fluids, such as blood and maternal milk, and also in 60%-80% of general population, including children. Considering its massive presence, daily exposure to glyphosate could be considered a health risk for humans. Indeed, in 2015, the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) classified glyphosate and its derivatives in Group 2A, as probable human carcinogens. In 2022, nevertheless, EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) stated that the available data did not provide sufficient evidence to prove the mutagenic/carcinogenic effects of glyphosate. Therefore, the European Commission (EC) decided to renew the approval of glyphosate for another 10 years. The purpose of this review is to examine the scientific literature, focusing on potential risks to human health arising from exposure to glyphosate, its metabolites and its commercial products (e.g., Roundup®), with particular regard to its mutagenic and carcinogenic potential and its effects as endocrine disrupter (ED) especially in the human reproductive system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In May 2005, beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH) was found in a sample of bovine bulk milk from a farm in the Sacco River valley (Latium region, central Italy). The primary source of contamination was suspected to be industrial discharge into the environment with the Sacco River as the main mean of dispersion. Since then, a surveillance programme on bulk milk of the local farms was carried out by the veterinary services. In order to estimate the spatial probability of β- HCH contamination of milk produced in the Sacco River valley and draw probability maps of contamination, probability maps of β-HCH values in milk were estimated by indicator kriging (IK), a geo-statistical estimator, and traditional logistic regression (LR) combined with a geographical information systems approach. The former technique produces a spatial view of probabilities above a specific threshold at non-sampled locations on the basis of observed values in the area, while LR gives the probabilities in specific locations on the basis of certain environmental predictors, namely the distance from the river, the distance from the pollution site, the elevation above the river level and the intrinsic vulnerability of hydro-geological formations. Based on the β-HCH data from 2005 in the Sacco River valley, the two techniques resulted in similar maps of high risk of milk contamination. However, unlike the IK method, the LR model was capable of estimating coefficients that could be used in case of future pollution episodes. The approach presented produces probability maps and define high-risk areas already in the early stages of an emergency before sampling operations have been carried out.

Objective: in March 2005, the Italian National Monitoring System on Chemical Residuals in Food of Animal Origin detected levels of the pesticide beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (ß-HCH) that were 20 times higher than the legal limit of 0.003 mg/kg in bulk milk from a dairy farm in the Sacco River valley. ß-HCH, a lindane isomer and possible human carcinogen, was subsequently found in milk from several neighboring farms. A study was therefore undertaken to evaluate the extent and risk factors for contamination., Design: all dairy cattle farms in the valley were enrolled in a retrospective cohort study and their bulk milk analyzed for ß-HCH. A questionnaire was administered to farmers to evaluate possible exposure factors., Setting and Participants: cases: dairy farms with at least one result indicating ß-HCH ≥ 0.002 mg/kg in bulk milk during the period april-june 2005; exposure: feeding animals on fodder cultivated in soils watered with and/or flooded by river water; participants: IZSLT, RMG Local Health Unit, FR Local Health Unit., Main Outcome Measures: attack rate, relative risk, attributable proportion among exposed., Results: of 244 farms tested, 34 met the case definition (attack rate 14%). The exposure to fodder cultivated in soils watered with and/or flooded by river water was observed in 33/34 (97%) case-farms and in 23/210 (10.9%) of those with contamination <0.002 mg/kg in bulk milk (RR 110.8; 95%CI 15.5- 792). Attributable proportion among exposed was more than 99%., Conclusion: fodder cultivated near a contaminated river was the main risk factor for ß-HCH contaminated milk. On the basis of the epidemiologic evidence and laboratory testing, watering local fields with river water and production of fodder in farms with contaminated soil was banned, and all the animals from positive farms were culled.