Pb, Zn and Cu were determined in 35 Preserved Egg (PE) samples, 25 Salted Egg (SE) samples and 40 Egg Preserved in Rice Wine (EPRW) samples collected from Jiangxi province by ICP-MS. The corresponding health risk for consumers was assessed by the target hazard quotients (THQ) and hazard index (HI). Average Pb, Zn and Cu content in all samples was 0.125 mg/kg, 10.939 mg/kg and 2.094 mg/kg, respectively. Average Pb content in PE was significantly higher than in SE and EPRW. THQ and HI values were less than 1, indicating that intake of heavy metals from PE, SE and EPRW will not pose a significant hazard risk to humans. However, more attention should be paid to control the ingestion by PE, which is the main source of Pb, Zn and Cu for consumers among these three egg products.
Keywords: ICP-MS; egg products; food safety; heavy metals; risk assessment.