An interactive tool to identify existing evidence and research gaps on agricultural production processes to address heavy metals in foods: developed from a scoping review

Agricultural production processes can affect heavy metal contaminants in foods, which impacts food safety. To inform future research on heavy metals in foods, we conducted a scoping review on agricultural production processes and arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury in foods for human consumption and presented results in an interactive, easy-to-use interface. We identified 76,587 peer-reviewed records from 5 databases from 2013-2023. After dual title and abstract screening, 10,884 articles met eligibility criteria and abstract-level data were extracted. We organized evidence into 3 food domains (crops, meat and poultry, seafood) and into production process categories for each domain. These articles covered 622 foods and 29 agricultural production process categories, resulting in 18,038 food and production process "pairs." Most articles assessed crops (73%), then seafood (21%), and meat and poultry (8%); and cadmium (68%), then lead (44%), arsenic (24%), and mercury (15%). We built an interactive evidence map that displays all included articles and allows users to sort and filter references by foods, production process categories, and heavy metals. This scoping review and interactive evidence map will be foundational for researchers and policymakers to identify primary research needs and areas where systematic reviews can be conducted to synthesize existing evidence to improve food safety.