Arsenic and inorganic arsenic: draft regulations for certain foods

Arsenic is a ubiquitous metalloid. It is naturally present in the environment: rocks, soil, and volcanic emissions can contain it in low concentrations, while groundwater in very high concentrations. Arsenic can also be of anthropogenic origin: fertilizers, pesticides, and industrial processes release it into the environment.

According to toxicological studies associated with arsenic, this element appears to be among the 5 most toxic heavy metals, and the main sources of exposure for humans, in addition to inhalation and dermal exposure, are definitely food and beverage consumption and drinking water.

Organic and inorganic arsenic

Arsenic exists in two chemical forms. Organic arsenic and inorganic arsenic, which is much more toxic than the former. Animals, fishes and algae can easily accumulate organic arsenic, while groundwater, drinking water, rice and foods of terrestrial or plant origin can accumulate the inorganic form of this metal. From 2020 to 2022, even according to the digital food alert monitoring tool, Safety HUD, managed by Mérieux NutriSciences, 32 arsenic detection alerts were notified in different product categories: fish and seafood, soups, broths, sauces, condiments, dietary supplements, cereals, and baked goods.

In addition, there are several arsenic species where the most common in food are: As(V), As(III) and methylated arsenic species (methylarsonic acid (MA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA)).

From the last scientific report EFSA, in 2021, based on the occurrence data of inorganic arsenic in food cereals and cereal products, rice and rice products, and drinking water contribute the most to human exposure to this hazard are. Clearly, EFSA has also identified children, infants and frequent rice consumers as the categories of consumers most at risk.

European regulatory framework

Codex Alimentarius defines total arsenic limits of 0.5 mg/kg for salt. In 2015, the European Commission published the Regulation (EU) 2015/1006 introducing legal limits of inorganic arsenic for some specific food products, rice-based, including infant food, and the Recommendation (EU) 2015/1381 on monitoring arsenic in food (during 2016, 2017, 2018).

Following the data collected from Member States’ monitoring and the exposure risk assessments by EFSA, the European Commission has recently published a draft regulation that would set new legal limits for inorganic arsenic in certain foodstuffs. In particular, the foodstuffs listed are cereals and cereal products, some specific rice and rice products, non-alcoholic rice-based beverages, infant and baby foods, foods for special medical purposes, fruit juices, and legal limits for total arsenic in salt.

The analytical offer of Mérieux NutriSciences

Mérieux NutriSciences offers a comprehensive analytical service for the determination of heavy metals in environmental matrices, water and food products. Through an IC-ICP-MS method, the dedicated laboratory can:

• quantify organic and inorganic arsenic
• distinguish different species of arsenic both organic and inorganic

in line with the maximum levels specified in the draft regulations.