Probabilistic determination of a maximum acceptable level of contaminant to reduce the risk of overexposure for a novel or emerging food: the case of cadmium in edible seaweed in the French population.

European and French populations are overexposed to cadmium (Cd) through their foods. The risk of increased cadmium exposure for consumers needs to be limited by reduced maximum limits (ML) for novel foodstuffs such as edible seaweed in France. The objective was to derive a low and protective cadmium concentration in edible seaweeds to limit cadmium overexposure in consumers. To do so, we applied a probabilistic approach to the data collected on French seaweed consumers, taking into account other sources of exposure for cadmium. This approach led to the identification of a cadmium concentration which should ensure that the seaweed-consuming population does not exceed the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of cadmium according to a probability of cases, when simultaneously exposed to other cadmium dietary sources. Considering the 5% of the population exceeding TDI, the estimated ML is equal to 0.35 mg Cd kg-1 dry matter of seaweed as an unprocessed food with a 95% confidence interval of [0.18,1.09]. The proposed approach is generic and could be applied to other relevant food/substance pairs when considering the setting of MLs in the regulatory system. It ensures better protection of consumer health.

Refinement of health-based guidance values for cadmium in the French population based on modelling.

In France, part of the population is overexposed to cadmium by the diet. In our work, we first revised the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 0.36 µg Cd.kg bw.d.-1 proposed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), derived from effects on kidneys and based on the critical urinary Cd concentration of 1.0 µg Cd.g-1 creatinine for humans. After reviewing the epidemiological data on Cd toxicity published after 2011, bone effects were selected as the critical effects. Body burden data of 0.5 µg.g-1 creatinine was chosen for the critical threshold for human urinary cadmium concentrations. To be used for the derivation of the new oral toxicological reference value, we used a modified physiologically based pharmacokinetic model (PBPK). The reverse calculation on the PBPK model gave a TDI of 0.35 µg Cd.kg bw-1.day-1. This TDI is compatible with a urinary Cd concentrations not exceeding 0.5 µg Cd.g-1 creatinine, in a 60 year-old adult, assuming that ingestion is the only source of exposure to Cd at 60 years. After implementing the PBPK model with French physiological data, Cd biological reference values as a function of age were modelled so as to remain below the revised health-based guidance values.

French infant total diet study: Dietary exposure to heat-induced compounds (acrylamide, furan and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and associated health risks.

A total diet study (TDS) was conducted between 2010 and 2016 to assess the risk associated with chemicals in food of non-breast-fed children from 1 to 36 months living in France. Food samples were collected, prepared "as consumed", and analyzed for chemicals of public health interest. Acrylamide, furan and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed as heat-induced compounds produced mainly during thermal processing of foods. Dietary exposure was assessed for 705 representative children using food consumptions recorded through a 3-consecutive-days record. As all calculated margins of exposure (MOE) for PAHs exceeded 10 000, dietary exposure of the infant and toddler population was deemed tolerable with regard to the carcinogenic risk. Conversely, the exposure levels to acrylamide and furan were considered as of concern, requiring management measures to reduce the exposure essentially by reducing the formation of heat-induced compounds during food production or preparation processes. Efforts should mainly focus on major contributors to the exposure, i.e. sweet and savoury biscuits and bars, and potatoes and potato products for acrylamide, baby jars of vegetables, with or without meat or fish for acrylamide and furan.

French infant total diet study: Exposure to selected trace elements and associated health risks.

A total diet study (TDS) was conducted between 2010 and 2016 to assess the risk associated with chemicals in food of non-breast-fed children under three living in France. 291 composite food samples were prepared "as consumed" and analyzed for 16 trace elements: aluminium (Al), antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), silver (Ag), strontium (Sr), tellurium (Te), tin (Sn), vanadium (V). Dietary exposure was assessed for 705 representative children using food consumptions recorded through a 3-consecutive-days record. For inorganic mercury, chromium III, and antimony, the exposure levels were lower than the health-based guidance values and the risk was considered tolerable. Conversely, the exposure levels to inorganic arsenic, lead and nickel were higher than the health-based guidance values for a part of children and were considered as a concern, requiring management measures to reduce the exposure. For aluminium, methylmercury, strontium, chromium VI, cobalt, and barium, a risk could not be ruled out because of uncertainty sources. As a precautionary measure, reducing the exposure is recommended. For chemicals without robust health-based guidance value (organic arsenic, gallium, germanium, silver, tin, tellurium and vanadium), additional data are needed for risk assessment.