efsa-opinion-chromium-food-drinking-water

Chromium in food and drinking water
the outcome of recent speciation work, the fact that food is by-and-large a reducing medium,
and that oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) would not be favoured in such a medium.
However, the CONTAM Panel noted that if even a small proportion of total chromium in food
was in the form of Cr(VI), it could contribute substantially to Cr(VI) exposure.
The CONTAM Panel decided to consider all the chromium present in drinking water as
Cr(VI). This assumption was based on the evidence that those water samples where both
Cr(VI) and total Cr were quantified showed an average ratio Cr(VI)/total Cr of almost one. In
addition the water intended for human consumption is usually treated with oxidizing agents to
make it potable, which could favour the presence of Cr(VI) over that of Cr(III).
Exposure to trivalent chromium via food excluding drinking water
Mean chronic dietary exposure to Cr(III), across the different dietary surveys and age classes,
ranged from 0.6 (minimum LB) to 5.9 μg/kg b.w. per day (maximum UB). The 95 th percentile
dietary exposure ranged from 1.1 (minimum LB) to 9.0 μg/kg b.w. per day (maximum UB).
Among the different age classes, toddlers showed the highest mean chronic dietary exposure
to Cr(III) with values ranging from 2.3 (minimum LB) to 5.9 (maximum UB) μg/kg b.w. per
day.
In ‘Infants’ and ‘Toddlers’ the main contributor to the exposure to Cr(III) were ‘Foods for
infants and small children’, followed by ‘Milk and dairy products’ and ‘Bread and rolls’.
In the other age classes, the main contributors to the exposure to Cr(III) were the food
categories ‘Milk and dairy products, ‘Bread and rolls’, ‘Chocolate (cocoa) products’ (except
for ‘Elderly’ and ‘Very elderly’ population) and ‘Non-alcoholic beverages’. The food group
‘Vegetables and vegetable products (including fungi)’ contributed to the exposure to Cr(III)
with median values that ranged between 4 % in ‘Adolescents’ and ‘Other children’, and 8 %
in the ‘Elderly’ population.
The assessment of the chronic dietary exposure to Cr(III) in vegetarians was based on very
limited data. The results indicated virtually the same mean and 95 th percentile dietary
exposure in the vegetarian population as for the general population.
Overall, the Comprehensive Database contains limited information on the consumption of
fortified foods, foodstuffs for particular nutritional use (PARNUTS) and food supplements.
Based on previous EFSA opinions, the combined exposure from supplemental intake in adults
(i.e. from fortified foods, PARNUTS and food supplements) would be between 910 µg/day
for a typical intake and 1540 µg/day for upper intake (13 µg/kg b.w. per day and 22 µg/kg
b.w. per day, respectively for an adult of 70 kg b.w.).
Exposure to hexavalent chromium (via drinking water and water used for food preparation)
The mean chronic exposure to Cr(VI) from drinking water consumption ranged from
0.7 (minimum LB) to 159.1 ng/kg b.w. per day (maximum UB). The 95 th percentile exposure
ranged from 2.8 (minimum LB) to 320.2 ng/kg b.w. per day (maximum UB).
The highest exposure to Cr(VI) through the consumption of drinking water was estimated in
the youngest populations (‘Infants’ and ‘Toddlers’).
In those dietary surveys with reported data on consumption of bottled water, the mean chronic
exposure to Cr(VI) from bottled water consumption ranged from < 0.1 (minimum LB) to
149.8 ng/kg b.w. per day (maximum UB, infants). The 95 th percentile exposure ranged from
0.0 (minimum LB) to 148.7 ng/kg b.w. per day (maximum UB, ‘Toddlers’).
The highest exposure to Cr(VI) through the consumption of bottled water was also estimated
in the youngest populations (‘Infants’ and ‘Toddlers’).
EFSA Journal 2014;12(3):3595 122