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Bibliometric analysis is an effective method used to identify research trends based on historical publications that involves combining different frameworks, tools and methods, leading to the creation of different metrics. This study employed bibliometric analysis to investigate the global health risk assessment of heavy metals in food from 2000 to 2022 using Web of Science and VOSviewer. We explore publication trends, affiliations, countries, journals, citations, keywords and author collaborations. Of the 573 publications on this topic, there has been a notable increase in recent years. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (China) and Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (Iran) are the most prolific affiliations. Environmental Science and Pollution Research is the top journal. Notably, "heavy metals", "risk assessment", "cadmium", "lead", and "trace elements" are frequently used keywords. A study by Miraglia et al. in 2009 received the most citations. Amin Mousavi Khaneghah (Poland) is the most prolific author, with 24 papers. Articles mainly focus on contamination levels in fish, seafood, cereals, dairy, meat, and fruit/vegetables. Some studies highlight potential risks, necessitating stricter food product controls for consumer safety.

The presence of potentially toxic elements in drinking water can be dangerous for human health because of their bioaccumulation and toxicity, which is a huge concern for many researchers. In the case of bottled water, the exposure to toxic elements is achieved, especially by ingestion, leading to disorders of important functions of the human body. The aim of this study was the detection of some potentially toxic elements, from 50 samples of bottled drinking water, available on the Romanian market. Based on obtained concentrations, an assessment of the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk was performed. The concentrations of potentially toxic elements analyzed were below the maximum allowable limits, for all contaminants, excluding Pb and Fe. Moreover, the results of total risk via ingestion, showed that 30% of samples had an Hazard Quotient (HQ) < 1, and 70% had an HQ > 1; which implies a potential risk following the consumption of those samples. Concerning total cancer risk, 28% of the samples are in the acceptable level, while 72% of the samples are considered harmful and can lead to a type of cancer after repeated exposure. The study concluded that long term use of bottled water of poor quality may pose a hazard to human health; it is helpful for inhabitants to avoid ingestion of contaminated water.

Across the world, there has been an increase in the consumption of food supplements. This may be due to the perception that these dietary supplements cannot negatively affect the health of consumers in any way. However, dietary supplements may not have the expected effect. In addition, it has been shown that supplements can sometimes be chemically, physically or microbiologically contaminated, if the hygiene conditions and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan are not fully complied with. The aim of this study was to determine the lead and cadmium content of 41 food supplements available on the Romanian market and to assess the risk to consumer health. The graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) technique was used for sample analysis after wet mineralization of the samples. The risk assessment was determined based on Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), and Carcinogenic Risk (CR) calculations. Values obtained for both lead and cadmium fall within the limits imposed by the legislation in force. Small risks associated with the consumption of these food supplements was shown, with a main recommendation being to decrease the recommended daily dose in the case of food supplements.