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Metals in leafy greens can be reduced by better understanding how they move in the soil and plants

The sensitivity of children to heavy metals and toxic elements has led the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to establish a 'Closer to Zero' initiative to reduce them in the food supply. This often involves addressing food groups like fruits and vegetables.

Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and lettuce can absorb metals like cadmium and lead which are often naturally found in the soil but do so in different ways and different parts of the plant.

A new study led by Dr. Angelia Seyfferth at the University of Delaware and supported by the IAFNS Food and Chemical Safety Committee uses spinach as an example to compare and contrast how cadmium and lead differ in how they move through soil and accumulate in plant foods. The paper also discusses practical pre- and post-harvest techniques to reduce human exposure to these metals that can be adopted by farmers, food processors, and consumers.

This review highlights differences in the magnitude of exposure, bioavailability, and the practicality of mitigation strategies and calls for more research on cutting chloride inputs to leafy green crops like spinach, kale, and lettuce to reduce plant uptake of cadmium. However, chloride-based disinfectants are important in reducing pathogens on crops like spinach, creating a risk-risk tradeoff that needs to be carefully managed. Some fertilizers are also chloride-based and could be substituted.

Read more at: newswise.com


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