Heavy Metal Testing Advancements and Why It's Essential

For those in any type of manufacturing business that could be exposed to heavy metals, it is essential that they get tested for these heavy metals, especially when it relates to possible contamination with products meant for consumption.

How the pandemic has helped advance heavy metal testing

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has provided a key push when it comes to heavy metal testing. This is because the average consumer wanted to have their foods tested more in general, covering distinct types of testing, from airborne illnesses to heavy metal testing.

As a result, many across the food and beverage industries have made significant investments to improve their testing as well as the frequency of that testing. In turn, whereas it was something to comply with regulators, it has now become commonplace for regular testing to occur throughout all food sources.

In addition to this heightened sense of awareness, more safety certifications are appearing from respected testing labs and companies to help comply with regulations and the overall information provided to the end consumer.

Those that are starting early with the increase of the heavy metal testing markets are working on pushing advancements of streamlining the testing and doing multi-contaminant testing and analysis. This will then lead to better international testing standards that everyone around the world can follow.

What is involved in heavy metal testing?

It is a series of tests that is all about discovering whether there are any potentially dangerous heavy metals in food. It is not about the levels themselves, as all of these can be dangerous or fatal even in small doses, but it primarily looks for mercury and lead, as well as cadmium, chromium, and arsenic.

It may seem common sense, but with so much food production being processed, or the source of the food not always complying with international standards, it is becoming more prevalent that this is a major concern.

It is not just one food group that is tested either, but it is everything from meat, poultry and fish to fruits, vegetables, cereals and nuts. The testing encompasses fresh and processed food items and can even accompany testing of the source of water as well, which has the potential to carry heavy metals.

How bad is it?

Even this year, there are still incidents and analyses of finding high concentrations of heavy metals in some food items. The most recent case involved baby food, where 95% of the purchases contained lead, and over 70% contained either cadmium or arsenic. One-third had mercury. This a global problem that is not being addressed as the mixture of ingredients is not  being properly checked for contaminants.

For anyone unfortunate enough to get heavy metal poisoning, the symptoms are unpleasant and can be extremely dangerous to your health. These heavy metals will actually bind negatively with the cells of your body, and regardless of the symptoms, too much exposure could lead to a shutdown of certain organs. That’s why it’s more critical than ever to ensure heavy metal testing throughout the entire food processing and manufacturing cycle.