The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK has conducted a survey investigating the concentrations of eight metals and other elements in a variety of cultivated and wild grown foods. Concentration of aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese and zinc were measured in 310 food samples. Fifty samples of mushrooms were purchased throughout the UK, from a range of retail outlets.
Levels of arsenic, cadmium and lead were compared against relevant regulatory limits.
Four samples of cultivated mushrooms showed levels of cadmium above the permitted limits. Overall, estimated dietary exposure to metals and other elements measured in this survey does not pose a significant risk to consumer safety, and FSA advice to eat at least fiveportions of fruit and vegetables each day is unchanged.
The results will be used to allow more accurate and detailed intake estimates of metals and other elements by consumers and to provide current data for a future review of EC maximum permitted levels of metals in foods. Read the full report here.