Arsenic in Feed & Food

Jan 10, 2018

Arsenic in Feed & Food

Arsenic (As) is an element found naturally, and is mined from earth’s crust. Arsenic is toxic for humans. Arsenic was found to cause cancer, birth defects, diabetes and heart disease. Therefore, exposure through food and water should be controlled.

Arsenic has been used as a supplement in Swine, Turkeys and Chickens feed, in order to increase weight gain, feed efficiency and improved pigmentation. A compound of Arsenic called Roxarsone which used in antibiotic and anti-parasitic drugs, called Ionophore.

Poultry feed contains Arsenic make a big effect on the soil quality, air, food and water.

Arsenic is used commercially. Pesticides on crops contain Arsenic, wood products treated with Arsenical pesticides. Foods contaminated with high levels of Arsenic, such as; seafood, rice, water, juices, wine and poultry meat. Human consumption of these products with high concentrations of Arsenic is very risky.

Nowadays, many food distributors supply poultry raised without Arsenic, this has been promoted in medical facilities.

One of the methods to detect and quantify Arsenic is by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). This is an accurate method that is used at Central Testing Laboratory to measure Arsenic.