Comparative Study of the Presence of Heavy Metals in Edible Vegetable Oils

Currently, the processes of obtaining and producing food as well as consumption habits give rise to new challenges for food safety. The presence of heavy metals in edible vegetable oils has harmful effects for humans. In this study, the scientific literature which reports the presence of heavy metals in different types of vegetable oils was analysed. More than 25 heavy metals are evaluated in 35 different oils from 24 countries. The widely studied metals are Cd, Pb, Cu, and Fe in olive oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, and corn oils, mainly in Brazil, Turkey, China, Iran, and India. Likewise, the presence of Antimony (Sb) as a product of migration from PET containers to edible vegetable oils is a topic of great interest in recent years. Additionally, the different analytical techniques used for this purpose and the standards are analysed. This study highlights the main findings and challenges in this research field.

Automated summary

Currently, the processes of obtaining and producing food as well as consumption habits give rise to new challenges for food safety. The presence of heavy metals in edible vegetable oils has harmful effects for humans. This study analysed the scientific literature reporting the presence of heavy metals in different types of vegetable oils, evaluating over 25 heavy metals in 35 oils from 24 countries. The study also highlighted the main findings and challenges in this research field, including the migration of antimony from PET containers to edible vegetable oils.