![]() Antimony has four valence states, with the trivalent form being the most common and stable 4, 5, 6.Ħ. It is a silvery-white, brittle solid present in the earth!|s crust. Antimony has been classified as both a metal and a metalloid. The result of this assessment would provide scientific information for future risk management, including prioritising resources in food surveillance activities and form a basis for standard review for antimony in food in our local legislation. A study on dietary exposure to antimony is therefore needed to examine the situation in the local scene.Ĥ. However, in view of lacking local data on dietary exposure to antimony, the associated health risk to the local population is not clear. However, apart from our local legislation, we could not find any safety standard with respect to antimony in food available in the international arena and in various places including Mainland China, the United States, Canada, member countries in the European Union, Australia and New Zealand. ![]() Available data 1, 2, 3 from overseas studies indicated that exposure to antimony through diet is relatively low when compared with the safety reference value established by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department therefore conducted studies on dietary exposure to arsenic, cadmium and mercury of secondary school students in 2002, a follow-up study on mercury and methylmercury in 2004 as well as a study on lead in 2005 respectively.ģ. Among which, four heavy metals, namely arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead, are of particular concern in terms of food safety and public health. The presence of metals in food, including antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and tin, is regulated under the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations (Cap. This study aims to estimate the dietary exposure to antimony of secondary school students in Hong Kong and to assess the associated health risk. Members of the public are advised to maintain a balanced diet so as to avoid excessive exposure from a small range of food items. Food trade is recommended to observe good agricultural and manufacturing practices to minimise antimony contaminations in food. The results also showed that the food group "cereal and cereal products", particularly rice, was the main dietary source of antimony.īecause of the ubiquitous nature of antimony, low levels of antimony in foods might be unavoidable. It could be concluded that both the average and high consumers of the secondary school students were unlikely to experience major toxicological effects of antimony. the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI)) of 6 μg/kg bw/day established by the World Health Organization and amount to less than 2% of this safety reference value. Both levels fell well below the safety reference value (i.e. The dietary exposures to antimony for average and high consumers of the secondary school students were 0.036 and 0.081 μg/kg bw/day respectively. Laboratory analysis for antimony was conducted by the Food Research Laboratory of the Centre for Food Safety. ![]() Dietary exposure to antimony was estimated using the local food consumption data obtained from secondary school students in 2000 and the concentrations of antimony in food samples taken from the local market. ![]() This study estimated the dietary exposure to antimony of secondary school students in Hong Kong and assessed the associated health risks. Annex: Distribution Curves of Antimony Concentrations in Six Food Groups.Limitations of the Exposure Assessment Study.Acknowledgement is required if other parts of this publication are used.įood and Environmental Hygiene Department Under no circumstances should the research data contained herein be reproduced, reviewed or abstracted in part or in whole, or in conjunction with other publications or research work unless a written permission is obtained from the Centre for Food Safety. This is a publication of the Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. ![]()
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