Abstract:
Back ground: - The majority of milk products in the world undergo processing
procedures which is exposed to heavy metals contamination for infant formula products.
Exposure to heavy metals can result in long-term effects on health of infants.
Objective: To determine heavy metals concentration in powdered infant formula foods
collected from local markets in Fiche town, Oromia, Ethiopia.
Method and material: Cross sectional study was implemented and 6 imported and 3
domestic formulae selected by simple random sampling technique from three purposively
selected highest infant formulae suppliers in Fiche. Totally, 27 samples were analyzed to
detect Cd and Pb by MP-AES and HGAAS for Hg from April 30-June 13/2022.
Result and Discussion: The concentration of Cd in Cerifam (0.07 ± 0.0451) mg/kg <
Faffa (0.11 ± 0.03) mg/kg < Bebelac (0.15 ± 0.05) mg/kg < Mother’s choice (0.19 ±
0.03696) mg/kg < Liptomil (0.29 ± 0 .03) mg/kg < Aptomil (0.42 ± 0.01) mg/kg < S 26
(0.51 ± 0.11) mg/kg < Francelait (0.55 ± 0. 02) mg/kg < NAN (0.6 ± 0.03) mg/kg.
Highest concentration of Cd detected in NAN infant formula and the lowest detected in
Cerifam. The concentration of Hg in Aptomil (0.0147 ± 0.0031) mg/kg < NAN (0.0183 ±
0.0015) mg/kg < Francelait (0.0193 ± 0.0012) mg/kg < Faffa (0.029 ± 0.0012) mg/kg <
Cerifam (0.032 ± 0.002) mg/kg < Liptomil (0.0353 ± 0.0042) mg/kg < S 26 (0.062 ± 0) <
Bebelac (0.069 ± 0.0012) mg/kg < Mother’s choice (0.0813 ± 0.0031) mg/kg. The highest
concentration of Hg detected in Mother’s choice while lowest detected in Aptomil. The
concentration of Pb in S 26 (0.0666 ± 0.0115) mg/kg < Aptomil (0.0667 ± 0.0116) mg/kg
= Liptomil (0.0667 ± 0.0116) mg/kg < Francelait (0.20 ± 0) mg/kg < NAN (0.2 ± 0.022)
mg/kg <Cerifam (0.2 ± 0.0346) mg/kg < Bebelac (0.267 ± 0.0306) mg/kg < Faffa
(0.4666 ± 0.4163) mg/kg < Mother’s choice (0.533 ± 0.1155) mg/kg. Imported formulae
contain higher Cd and Hg than domestic products but, higher concentration of Pb
detected in domestic products. Based on formula source, higher concentration of Cd, Hg
and Pb detected in plant and cow source than plant based powdered infant formulae.
Conclusion and Recommendation: All studied infant formula brands didn’t comply with
WHO and FAO (Cd 0.05 and Pb 0.01) mg/kg and US EPA (Hg 0.002 mg/kg) standards,
so it is compulsory to give attention and regulate contaminants in infant formula foods
