Effect of transitional nutrition in intake level of heavy metal from Iranian sauces consumption and its carcinogenic and health risks

Heavy metal content in food is a serious concern due to health consequences for consumers, which is more important in highly consumed foods such as sauces. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of lead, chromium, manganese, zinc, aluminum, copper, and iron in Iranian mayonnaise and ketchup and assess its risk for junk food and health food pattern in three scenarios by Monte Carlo simulation. Sauce samples from four brands were selected based on packaging type into three groups for mayonnaise and two groups for ketchup. The samples were digested and then the metals concentrations were detected using Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (MP-AES). The results showed that the average concentrations of lead, chromium, manganese, aluminum, copper, zinc, and iron in the studied samples (mayonnaise, ketchup) were (0.67, 0.51), (0.40, 0.39), (0.23, 1.13), (0.89, 1.38), (0.38, 0.90), (4.45, 10.87), and (2.86, 4.12) µg/g, respectively. Although the level of heavy metal intake in the junk food increased significantly compared to the health food, The HI resulting from the detected concentrations in mayonnaise and ketchup was 8.20E-02 in junk food pattern, which indicated an acceptable non-carcinogenic hazard. Also, the ELCR associated with lead and chromium in the studied sauces was 7.56E-05 in junk food pattern, which indicated an acceptable carcinogenic risk. Although no significant risk was observed for consumers at the current consumption rate and the detected concentrations, but considering the increase in sauce consumption in recent decades, which could provide a higher risk, it is necessary to identify the source of heavy metals in sauces and ways to reduce it.