The effect of processing on the amount and remove of heavy metals in a kind of dairy product

Introductio: The trace metals can lead to poisoning or chronic diseases at high level of exposure. Metals such as Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, and As can be derive also by production systems of foods. The metals content in dairy products, especially in cheese, remains poorly documented in Iran, so, we measured the content of Pb, Cd, As, Sn, Zn, Cu, and Fe both in processing materials (raw milk, water, salt, packaging), and in the cheese (White cheese) of three different factories from Yazd, Iran. Material and Method: 36 samples of cheese, and 90 samples of raw materials and packaging were collected randomly. The metals analysis were performed through the atomic absorption spectrophotometer.Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 10.0, and Dunnett test was applied for correlations analyses. Results: Significant differences were observed between the samples for amount lead, zinc, tin, cadmium, and copper.Dunnett test showed that packaging, salt, milk, and water represent the major sources of metals. All metals in cheese samples were less than provisional tolerable daily intakes and was less than FAO/WHO limits.Conclusion:The quality of raw materials in cheese production play an important role in trace elements that can be minimized paying more attention to their origin.

Keywords:

Cheese , Metals , Packaging , Raw materials , Toxicity.