Nguyen Xuan Huan, Do Thanh Nga, Le Ngoc Bao Tram

Main Article Content

Abstract

Nowadays, cheap snacks with stimulating flavors are popular among students. However, some snacks may contain heavy metals and minerals at levels that are harmful to long-term health. The study focused on studying the content of macrominerals, trace minerals, and heavy metals in eight snack samples collected from grocery stores near schoolzones in Hanoi. The snack samples were analyzed using ICP-OES equipment. The analysis results detected the range of four macrominerals (Mg (53-83 mg/kg), Ca (480 - 740 mg/kg), Na (224 - 350 mg/kg), and K (239 - 352 mg/kg)); six trace minerals (Se (0 - 0.04 mg/kg), Zn (4.35 - 30.09 mg/kg), Fe (15.64 - 135.67 mg/kg), Mn (2.50 - 7.92 mg/kg), Cr (0.20 - 0.89 mg/kg), and Cu (1.11 - 2.77 mg/kg)), and four heavy metals (As (0 - 0.01 mg/kg), Sn (0.03 - 0.08 mg/kg), Hg (0.03 - 0.88 mg/kg), and Pb (0.02 - 0.1 mg/kg)).

Keywords: Minerals, heavy metals, snacks, student, trace minerals.

References

[1] C. Piernas, B. M. Popkin, Trends in Snacking Among U. S. Children, Health Aff (Millwood), Vol. 29, No. 3, 2010, pp. 398-404,
https://doi.org/10.1377/ hlthaff.2009.0666.
[2] R. S. DeWeese, P. O. Vachaspati, Cost of Children's Healthy Versus Unhealthy Snacks Does Not Differ at Convenience Stores, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Vol. 49, No. 3, 2017, pp. 241-243, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2016. 11.006.
[3] V. Njike, T. Garvin, O. Shuval, K. Shuval,
I. Edshteyn, V. Kalantari, A. Yaroch, Snack Food, Satiety, and Weight, Advances in Nutrition: An International Review Journal, Vol. 7, No. 5, 2016, pp. 866-878,
https://doi.org/10.3945/an.115. 009340.
[4] Y. Gao, X. Li, J. Dong, Y. Cao, T. Li, Snack Foods and Lead Ingestion Risks for School Aged Children: A Comparative Evaluation of Potentially Toxic Metals and Children’s Exposure Response of Blood Lead, Copper and Zinc Levels, Chemosphere, Vol. 261, 2020, pp. 127547, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere. 2020.127547.
[5] J. Fuhrman, The Hidden Dangers of Fast and Processed Food, Am J Lifestyle, Vol. 12, No. 5, 2018, pp. 375-381, https://doi.org/ 10.1177/155982761 8766483.
[6] L. R. Freeman, V. H. Zitlin, D. S. Rosenberger,
A. C. Granholm, Damaging Effects of a High-Fat Diet to the Brain and Cognition: A Review of Proposed Mechanisms. Nutr Neurosci, Vol. 17, No. 6, 2014, pp. 241-251,
https://doi.org/10.1179/1476830513Y.0000000092.
[7] N. Mozafarian, M. E. Motlagh, R. Heshmat,
S. Karimi, M. Mansourian, Factors Associated with Screen Time in Iranian Children and Adolescents: The CASPIAN-IV Study, International Journal of Preventive Medicine, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2017, pp. 31, https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm. IJPVM_36 _17.
[8] M. V. Kraemer, R. C. Oliveira, D. A. G. Chica,
R. P. Proença, Sodium Content on Processed Foods for Snacks, Public Health Nutrition, Vol. 19, No. 6, 2015, pp. 967-975, https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980015001718.
[9] S. O. Serna Saldivar, Snack Foods: Types and Composition, Encyclopedia of Food and Health, 2016, pp 13-18, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-384947-2.00633-4.
[10] TCVN 6665:2011 (ISO 11885:2007), Water Quality-Determination of Selected Elements by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) (in Vietnamese).
[11] Ministry of Health, Recommended Nutritional Needs for Vietnamese People, Medical Publishing House, Hanoi, 2016 (in Vietnamese).
[12] Ministry of Health - Department of Preventive Medicine, Recommended Maximum Sodium Levels for Some Prepackaged Processed Foods in Vietnam, Issued with Official Dispatch No. 249/DP-KLN 28/3/2024.
[13] R. Chekri, L. Noël, S. Millour, C. Vastel, A. Kadar, V. Sirot, T. Guérin, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium and Potassium Levels in Foodstuffs From the Second French Total Diet Study, Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, Vol. 25, No. 2, 2012, pp. 97-107,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2011. 10.005.
[14] O. S. Shokunbi, O. T. Adepoju, I. D. I. Ramaite,
P. E. L. Mojapelo, I. O. Akinyele, Potassium, Sodium, Calcium and Magnesium Levels of Commonly Consumed Foods and Estimates of Dietary Intakes of Selected Nigerian Adults, Heliyon, Vol. 9, No. 3, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon. 2023.e13729.
[15] S. Saracoglu, K. Saygi, O. Uluozlu, M. Tuzen
M. Soylak, Determination of Trace Element Contents of Baby Foods from Turkey, Food Chemistry, Vol. 105, No. 1, 2007, pp. 280-285, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2006.11.022Get rights and content.
[16] C. M. A. Iwegbue, Concentrations of Selected Metals in Candies and Chocolates Consumed in Southern Nigeria, Food Additives and Contaminants: Part B, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2011, pp. 22-27, https://doi.org/10.1080/19393210.2011.551943.
[17] World Health Organization (WHO), Evaluation of Certain Contaminants in Food: Seventy-Second Report of the Joint Fao/Who Expert Committee on Food Additives, World Health Committee on Food Additives. Meeting (72nd: 2010, Rome, Italy), Series, ISBN 978 92 4 120959 5.
[18] Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Secretary of State for Health, The Tin in Food Regulations, No. 496, 1992.
[19] FAO, Guidance for Industry: Action Levels for Lead in Processed Food Intended for Babies and Young Children, Food and Agriculture Organization, from: https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/ search-fda-guidance-documents/guidance-industry-action-levels-lead-processed-food-intended-babies-and-young-children (accessed on: August 1st, 2025).
[20] E. Elham, F. H. Ahlam, R. Mervat, Assessment of Some Heavy Metals in Some Fast Foods in Kalubia Governorate, International Journal for Research in Health Sciences and Nursing, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2015, https://doi.org/10.53555/hsn.v1i1.906.