To study the element distribution characteristics in 4 kinds of poultry pre-made dishes,including chicken, duck, visceral and claw sold in Beijing in 2024, and evaluate the dietary exposure risk of harmful elements.

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine 14 kinds of elements in 46 poultry pre-made dishes sold in Beijing. Pollution index method, target hazard quotient/total target hazard quotient(THQ/TTHQ), hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI) and carcinogenic risk index (CR) were used to evaluate the health risks of harmful elements.

All 14 kinds of elements were detected in poultry pre-made dishes, with median content of aluminum, manganese, boron, chromium, nickel and molybdenum exceeding 0.01 mg/kg. The detection rates of harmful elements were as follows: Arsenic (100%)>chromium (97.8%)>lead (41.3%) and mercury(41.3%)>cadmium (39.1%). The content of these elements were all below the standards of the GB 2762—2022 National food safety standard-Limits of pollutants in food. There were significant differences in the median values of 14 kinds of elements among 4 kinds of poultry pre-made dishes. Among the visceral pre-made dishes, the content of vanadium, manganese, cobalt, arsenic, molybdenum, cadmium and lead were the highest. Among the claw pre-made dishes, the content of mercury was the highest, followed by lead. Among the chicken pre-made dishes, the content of arsenic and lead were the lowest. The median chromium content in 4 kinds of poultry pre-made dishes showed little variation, but the average chromium content (0.10 mg/kg) in chicken pre-made dishes was approximately twice that of the other 3 kinds of poultry pre-made dishes, with Kung Pao chicken exhibiting a notably high chromium characteristic. The pollution index for lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and chromium were all less than 0.7,indicating that the sample was not contaminated with harmful elements. For the assessment of non-carcinogenic health risks, 2 sets of assessment methods from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization/International Codex Alimentarius Commission were employed. The THQ/TTHQ and HQ/HI assessment values for cadmium, mercury and chromium were all less than 1, indicating that the risks were at an acceptable level. The results from both assessment methods were consistent, and both identify that Cd posed the highest risk in visceral pre-made dishes, while Hg posed the highest risk in claw pre-made dishes. The CR of Pb in 4 kinds of poultry pre-made dishes was less than 1×10^–6, indicating no carcinogenic risk. The CR of arsenic ranged from 1×10^–6–1×10^–4, indicating an acceptable carcinogenic risk.

The health risks posed by harmful elements in 4 kinds of poultry pre-made dishes sold in Beijing are at a safe level. Although the detection rate and content levels of multiple elements in claw pre-made dishes are relatively low, the mercury and lead contents in these dishes are at a higher level among the 4 kinds of poultry pre-made dishes, which should be recommended to strengthen monitoring.