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Food Safety
What are the concentrations of cadmium, lead and mercury in the offal of pigs? Is the offal of older animals more highly con-
taminated than that of younger animals? A research project of the BfR conducted in cooperation with the federal states provides
initial information.
concentrations are assumed. Average consumption of
kidneys with maximum cadmium concentrations from old-
er cattle and pigs would result in a moderate exposure for
cadmium, corresponding to 17 % and 14 % of the TWI, re-
spectively. The exposure of frequent consumers of cattle
and pig kidney corresponds to 72 % and 55 % of the TWI
for cadmium, respectively. For frequent consumers the to-
tal exposure via different food products (liver and kidney
and other contaminated food types incl. non-animal ori-
gin) must be taken into account. The calculations above
use a worst case assumption of consumption of organs
from only older animals contaminated at maximum levels
analysed. In many cases the exposure will be lower since
older animals constitute only a proportion of the total
slaughters. Detailed results are given elsewhere (see “in-
formation”).
The results show that livers and kidneys from animals
aged two and over contain higher quantities of heavy
metals than those from younger animals. The results also
indicate that efforts should be made to further reduce
heavy metal contamination.
i
Martin A., C. Müller-Graf, I. More, H. Schafft, L. Ellerbroek,
M. Spolders und M. Greiner. 2013. Beurteilung der Gehalte
von Blei, Cadmium und Quecksilber in Lebern und Nieren
von ab zwei Jahre alten Schlachtschweinen und -rindern
in Deutschland. J Verbrauch Lebensm. (in German)
Online article: doi:10.1007/s00003-013-0851-y
