Heavy metal levels in milk and fermented milk products produced in the Almaty region, Kazakhstan

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Monitoring food quality and safety remain a pressing issue. The intermediate results of the study on the residual amounts of heavy and toxic elements in food products are presented herein. The aim of this study was the determination of heavy metals in milk and fermented milk products from basic farms in the Almaty region, Kazakhstan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 120 raw milk samples and 80 cottage cheese samples were analyzed. The milk and cottage cheese samples were subjected to mineralization during the analysis to remove organic impurities and determine the heavy metal concentrations using atomic absorption spectrometry. RESULTS: The contents of cadmium, lead, and arsenic in all raw materials and food products did not exceed the maximum permissible concentrations. CONCLUSION: The dairy samples showed low contents of cadmium, mercury, lead, and arsenic that did not exceed the allowable concentrations for basic farms in the Almaty region.