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Spices and herbs play an important role in the human diet, mostly due to the presence of essential oils and high antioxidant activity. Therefore, the toxicity of metals raises concerns about the safety of consumption of spices and herbs. This paper examines the content of Cd and Pb in fresh and dried herbs and single-component spices that are the most popular in Polish cuisine: 100 samples of nine kinds of dried herbs, 184 samples of 15 kinds of fresh herbs and 148 samples of 14 kinds of loose single-component spices. The level of Cd and Pb was determined using the GF AAS method. The safety of herbs and spices for consumption was estimated based on the percentage intake of Cd and Pb compared with the tolerable intake (% TWI, % BMDL), chronic daily intake (CDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI) and comparisons of the results of chemical analyses with the maximum admissible levels of Cd and Pb in Poland and in the European Union. Calculated per fresh weight of the product, dried herbs on average contained 0.134 ± 0.168 mg of Cd and 0.548 ± 0.161 mg of Pb per kg -1 , fresh herbs on average contained 0.004 ± 0.007 mg of Cd and 0.039 ± 0.033 mg of Pb per kg -1 , and the mean content of Cd in spices was 0.017 ± 0.019 mg per kg -1 and 0.064 ± 0.050 mg of Pb. The % TWI, % BMDL, CDI, THQ and HI (Cd + Pb) for all the analysed products were lower than 1. The results do not imply a risk due to the supply of Cd and Pb with the diet to the human body, primarily due to the small intake of these products. However, it should be highlighted that the content of Cd in dried coriander and estragon and that of Pb in watercress, jiaogulan, celery, basil and dill exceeded the acceptable limit. Thus, their consumption for people from particularly sensitive groups such as babies, pregnant and breastfeeding women and people should be carefully limited., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The presence of heavy metals in food is a global problem. The paper aimed to examine the content of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in instant coffee and instant coffee substitutes. The safety of consumption of the beverages by adult Poles was estimated based on the following parameters: tolerable weekly intake (TWI) %, benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL) %, chronic daily intake (CDI), target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI), for three beverage consumption patterns-one, two or three servings a day. Forty-nine samples of coffee, instant coffee drinks and coffee substitutes were analysed. The content of cadmium and lead was determined by ICP (inductively coupled plasma) analysis. The maximum level of Cd in the analysed beverages was 3.2 µg, and that of Pb was 82.6 µg per 1 kg. The tolerable level of intake of Cd (TWI) and Pb (BMDL) with the analysed beverages did not exceed 2.5%. The value of CDI, THQ and HI was not higher than 1, which means that the risk of diseases related to chronic exposure to Cd and Pb consumed with coffee should be evaluated as very low. However, special note should be taken of Pb, as the level of this metal was higher than that of Cd, and for beverages with a higher weight per serving (e.g. Cappuccino), the intake of Pb can exceed consumer-safe levels if they are consumed on a regular basis. Therefore, it should be considered whether it is advisable for flavoured multi-ingredient instant coffee drinks to be consumed from time to time only, and natural coffee with optional milk and/or sugar be the choice of regular coffee drinkers., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

This study aimed to compare the effect of Zn, Cu and Fe glycine chelates on the proximate composition, cholesterol levels, fatty-acid profile and dietary value of the thigh meat of broiler chickens. The experiment involved three hundred and fifty Ross 308 chickens divided into seven groups. The chickens were administered Zn, Cu and Fe glycine chelates in an amount corresponding to 50% of the requirement or 25% of the requirement for 42 days. It was found that the use of Zn, Cu and Fe glycine chelates did affect the fatty acid profile and dietary value of meat. A positive impact was most frequently ( p < 0.05) noted in chickens receiving Zn chelate in an amount covering 50% of the requirement: the lowest levels of SFA and atherogenic and thrombogenic indices, the highest content of PUFA n-3 and PUFA/SFA ratios and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic indices. Positive effects were more often recorded for chickens receiving Zn in an amount corresponding to 50% of the requirement. The results did not show that the use of Cu and Fe glycine chelates can reduce the dietary value of thigh meat in broiler chickens since, generally, the outcomes were not worse than those in the control group. It should be highlighted that due to ambiguous results, it is impossible to determine a dose of Cu and Fe glycine chelate which would be more efficient for broiler chickens. However, chickens receiving chelates in amounts corresponding to 25% of the requirement showed far better results.