Dietary intake of metals from yogurts analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES)

The content of 20 macro and trace elements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Al, B, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Li, Pb, Zn, Ni, Sr and V) were quantified by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) in 72 yogurt samples, purchased in supermarkets in the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). Mean concentrations in mg/kg wet weight were: 455 (Na), 1101 (K), 1018 (Ca), 115.1 (Mg), 0.59 (Al), 0.07 (B), 0.40 (Ba), nd (Cd), 0.002 (Co), 0.02 (Cr), 0.27 (Cu), 0.33 (Fe), 0.52 (Li), 0.02 (Mn), 0.04 (Mo), 0.01 (Ni), 0.002 (Pb), 0.02 (V), nd (Sr), and 2.79 (Zn). Daily consumption of yogurt (58.6 g/child/day and 42.1 g/adult/day) contributes to the dietary intake of essential metals and trace elements, mainly Ca (6.0% in children, 4.8% in adult women, and 4.3% in adult men) and Zn (2.0% in children, 1.2% in adult women, and 1.7% in adult men). The levels of metals detected did not reveal any toxicological risk for consumers.