Introduction: The levels of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in foods should be monitored as a function of health risks.
Objective: To evaluate Cd and Pb levels in oral hospital diets and in an oral food complement (OFC) according to their respective consumption by patients, and to estimate the patient's exposition risk.
Methods: The levels of Cd and Pb were determined by ICP-OES in samples of regular, blend, soft and renal diets and OFC, collected on 6 weekdays. About 14.3% of the diets and OFC served were analyzed.
Results and discussion: 163 patients participated, with mean weights and ages of 62.7 kg and 56.5 years, respectively, the majority being men (59.5%). The mean Cd content consumed was greater for men fed the regular and blend diets and similar amongst the sexes for the soft diet. The consumption of Cd (max. 21.02 μg/day) was below the provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI). The mean Pb ingested (max. 199.49 μg/day) was similar amongst the sexes. The soft diet showed the highest Pb content in September/2010, whereas the other showed no variation according to season. In September/2010 and January/2011, the soft and regular diets associated with the OFC offered 207.50 and 210.50 μg/day of Pb, respectively.
Conclusions: The combination of the diet with the OFC increased the risk of an excessive ingestion of Pb, and the vulnerability of the patients to an excessive exposition to Pb could be greater due to water and medications. It was concluded that whereas the calculated ingestion of Cd conformed to the PTMI, the Pb level and ingestion represented a risk to the health of the patients.