The Center for Market Research and Consumer Protection organized a panel discussion entitled “Detection of Lead and Cadmium in Some Instantly Colored Dry Food Products”, which was convened by Associate Professor Nebras Mohammed Abdul Rasoul, Head of Commodity Calendar and Service Performance at the Market Research and Consumer Protection Center/BagBagdad University, on Wednesday, 31/1/2024 10 05 a.m.
Summary: The research was carried out within the Centre’s annual plan for 2023 and samples of colorful pasta as well as friable colored clothing as well as samples of dried fruits were examined as samples were collected from local markets in Baghdad governorate.
Objective of the seminar: To raise awareness of the risks of colorful foodstuffs in which the quantity of lead and cadmium increases, the majority of pigments used are industrial.
Discussion and conclusions:
The tests were carried out in the center’s laboratories and the results were compared with the Iraqi standards as well as the international standard codex and samples were found to contain a higher proportion of cadmium and lead than permitted in the standards approved in the study.
Recommendations:
1- Keep away from colored food in all its forms because the colors used are not safe.
2- There is no possibility of investigating the types of pigments used in the food studied. Most samples are sold in the market in a non-packaged form.
3- Avoid dried fruits of unknown origin and exotic shape and eat fresh fruits especially in children.
