Virginia Research Day 2021

Student Research Biomedical

01 Mercury Exposure and Potential Risks from Rice-Based Infant Foods in Infants: A Literature Review

Emily Hutcherson; Durga A Kumar; James R Palmieri; Meghan L Wilson Corresponding author: dkumar@vcom.vt.edu

Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Virginia Campus

Rice-based infant cereals and snacks are popular starter and weaning foods for infants around the world. Recent research has indicated that rice can accumulate a variety of heavy metals, with mercury posing the biggest risk to human health. During manufacturing and processing of infant foods, these heavy metals are not removed, thus causing increased incidence of exposure. Mercury and heavy metal exposure in infants is significantly more detrimental than in adults and can cause physical and neurocognitive developmental defects. This literature review evaluated 97 sources found through PubMed and Google Scholar to determine the prevalence of mercury and heavy metals in rice-based infant foods. In conclusion, multiple studies showed the continued presence of these contaminants in rice-based infant foods along with how exposure can cause long term side effects in infants. Further studies are warranted to evaluate mercury levels in certain brands of infant foods and to determine if there is a statistically significant difference in mercury levels of organic vs. non-organic infant foods.

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