The Food Standards Agency has said that illegal levels of heavy metals and other elements found on carrots, mushrooms and nuts in a recent study do not cause concerns for health.
One sample of carrots out of 120 root vegetable samples tested showed lead levels above the legal limit. Four samples of mushrooms and nine samples of nuts exceeded the legal limit for cadmium.
The results were published this week as part of a study into the presence of heavy metals and other elements in some foodstuffs.
Concentrations of aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese and zinc were tested for in 310 food samples, including 120 samples of root vegetables, 30 of nuts, 35 of dried fruits and 50 of mushrooms. All were bought throughout the UK from a range of shops.
The survey was carried out to provide data for a future review by the European Commission of permitted levels of these metals in our diet.
According to the Fresh Produce Consortium, the FSA concluded that “none of the results of this survey pose a significant risk to people’s health”, and said its advice to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day was unchanged.
The FSA has informed local authorities for them to consider whether to take enforcement action.
The full report can be found at www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/fsismetals0107.pdf
