Seaweed sheets are used for many Asian dishes, including Sushi. Authorities, however, have found that they are often loaded with heavy metals, lead and arsenic. Also the iodine content is worryingly high.

Some marine algae tend, apparently, to pollutants such as heavy metals and other unwanted substances from the environment, and enrich. For this reason, the food have examined the authorities of the länder dried seaweed sheets in the year 2013. Five years later, this program was repeated again with a worrying result, especially Cadmium, lead, arsenic, and aluminum occurred in the studied samples in high concentrations. The Federal office for consumer protection and food safety (BVL), with shares.

Toxic substances in many of the samples found

In every tenth sample tested, the Cadmium limit value of 3.0 milliseconds was exceeded gram per kilogram (mg/kg) significantly. Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal, considered carcinogen. In addition, the authorities again found high levels of Lead in the algae leaves In about ten percent of the samples with the highest lead they were kept in the range of 1 to 10 mg/kg. So far it has not set a maximum permissible maximum level for lead in marine algae, the introduction of such a limit is however planned and is the subject of current discussions on the protection of consumers ‘ health.

Also, arsenic, aluminum and uranium were found in leaves in the examined Algae. The health risks are not studied in these substances is sufficient, and the measured concentrations were classified by the authorities as not serious.

Too much Iodine is detrimental to the health

In addition to the potentially toxic substances, the trace elements Iodine, zinc, selenium, manganese and copper were investigated. These are considered to be important for the health, excessive intake can also damage. So food must be labelled in Germany, for example, with an iodine content above 20 mg/kg with a warning, since too much Iodine can affect the thyroid function negatively.

At the last investigation, the authorities found in a good three-quarters of all algae samples iodine content, which exceeded this limit. In 8 percent of samples with no warnings or consumer information were available, however. As such products can harm health, it may not be in accordance with the General provisions of food law are not placed on the market.

The trace elements zinc, copper, selenium and manganese were also detected in relatively high amounts. A health risk does not exist here, however.

NK

An Overview of all the messages you get on aponet.de current.