Trace and Macro Elements Concentrations in Selected Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, and Processed Foods in North Carolina, USA

Fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and processed foods continue to be the major sources of essential trace elements in humans' diet required for proper body development. However, food products can potentially be contaminated by toxic heavy metals from environmental contamination or industrial food processing. This study investigated a comparative analysis of essential elements and potential toxic heavy metals concentration in food products in the Greensboro metropolis, North Carolina, USA. A total of 49 food samples comprising of 16 difference fresh fruits, 17 fresh vegetables, 4 herbs, and 12 processed foods were purchased from local grocery stores and analyzed for iron, calcium, magnesium, nickel, zinc, copper, lead, cadmium, and chromium by the use of flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentrations of elements were subjected to a regression analysis to further gain insight of the inter-element association in the food samples. The results of the study showed high variability in the concentrations of elements in the fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and processed foods.