Lead, Chromium levels soar in processed foods sold in local market: JUST study

A study led by researchers at Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST) has found alarming levels of heavy metals in processed food products sold in local markets, with children facing significantly higher potential health risks than adults.

Researchers tested 32 samples across five categories—bakery products, snacks and savoury foods, chocolates and confectionery, dairy products and beverages—and detected lead, chromium, copper and nickel in several samples.

However, no cadmium or arsenic was found in any of the samples.

One cream roll recorded the highest concentrations of lead and chromium, at 35.70 milligrams and 35.39 milligrams per kilogram respectively. Compared with the prescribed limits for bakery and confectionery products, the lead level was about 357 times higher and chromium about 71 times higher.

A milk chocolate sample also contained 29.49 mg/kg of lead and 26.67 mg/kg of chromium—roughly 295 and 53 times above the relevant limits.

A more striking result came from an artificial mango drink, which contained 11.88 mg/kg of lead, 13.98 mg/kg of chromium, 8.69 mg/kg of copper and 3.02 mg/kg of nickel. Its lead and chromium levels were about 594 and 280 times the prescribed limits for soft drinks.

The researchers assessed the potential non-cancer health risks associated with exposure to the metals and found children were more vulnerable than adults. Of the 32 products tested, 31 exceeded the acceptable threshold for combined non-cancer health risk among children, compared with nine products for adults.

Researchers said children may face greater exposure relative to body weight because they weigh less but can consume comparable amounts of food.

The study was conducted by researchers from Jashore University of Science and Technology’s departments of Nutrition and Food Technology and Environmental Science and Technology, alongside researchers from Daffodil International University and the University of Wollongong in Australia.

Lead author Md Sakhawat Hossain said the research was prompted by concerns over the safety of processed foods. He called for regular monitoring of heavy metals, stricter quality controls and stronger government oversight of processed food products.

The researchers said heavy metals can enter the food chain through contaminated soil, water and air, while raw materials, processing equipment and packaging may also contribute to contamination. They did not identify any particular company as the source of the contamination.

The study was published in the 2026 volume 158 of the "Journal of Food Composition and Analysis."