Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.7
5.1
Journals
Foods
Special Issues
Trace Elements and Emerging Contaminants in Sustainable Food Systems: Risks,...
share announcement

Trace Elements and Emerging Contaminants in Sustainable Food Systems: Risks, Regulations, and Remediation

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Security and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026 | Viewed by 1601

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cristina Couto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, University Institute of Health Sciences—CESPU, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
2. UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Forensics and Biomedical Sciences Research Laboratory, University Institute of Health Sciences (1H-TOXRUN, IUCS-CESPU), 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
3. LAQV/REQUIMTE, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
Interests: food quality and safety; food toxicology; water; soil; flora; trace elements; environmental monitoring; metallic nanoparticles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sandra Leal

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, University Institute of Health Sciences—CESPU, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
2. UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Forensics and Biomedical Sciences Research Laboratory, University Institute of Health Sciences (1H-TOXRUN, IUCS-CESPU), 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
Interests: risk factors; eating behaviors; nutrition status; metabolism; neurochemistry; biomarkers, food quality and safety; food toxicology; trace elements; environmental monitoring; prevention and control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to a forthcoming Special Issue of Foods, titled “Trace Elements and Emerging Contaminants in Sustainable Food Systems: Risks, Regulations, and Remediation.” This Special Issue aims to explore the multifaceted challenges and opportunities surrounding trace elements and emerging contaminants in the context of sustainable food production and consumption. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and case studies that address topics including, but not limited to, the following: occurrence and behaviour of trace elements and contaminants in food systems, analytical methods for detection and quantification, toxicological and nutritional implications, regulatory frameworks and risk assessment strategies, innovative remediation and mitigation approaches, impacts on public health and food security. We kindly encourage you to submit your contributions.

Dr. Cristina Couto
Dr. Sandra Leal
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • trace elements
  • emerging contaminants
  • nutrients
  • safety
  • toxicity
  • sustainable food systems
  • risks
  • regulations
  • remediation

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 7001 KB  
Article
Bioaccessibility and Risk Assessment of Trace Elements in Mealworms Using Continuous On-Line Leaching Coupled with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
by Qiqi Zhang, Ellen Mcgivern and Diane Beauchemin
Foods 2026, 15(9), 1556; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15091556 - 30 Apr 2026
Viewed by 306
Abstract
Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) is considered a sustainable protein source and classified as a non-novel food by Health Canada. However, data on safe consumption levels based on bioaccessible metal(loid) concentrations are limited. In this study, a modified continuous on-line leaching method (COLM) [...] Read more.
Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) is considered a sustainable protein source and classified as a non-novel food by Health Canada. However, data on safe consumption levels based on bioaccessible metal(loid) concentrations are limited. In this study, a modified continuous on-line leaching method (COLM) coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) was developed to quantify bioaccessible Cr, As, Se, and Cd in mealworm powder. Samples were packed into a transparent polypropylene flash column and sequentially leached with artificial saliva and gastric juice at 37 °C to simulate gastrointestinal digestion, with continuous monitoring of released elements by ICPMS. The proposed method required approximately 70 min per sample as opposed to over 2 h with conventional batch methods. Whereas the bioaccessible concentration of Se was negligible, 13 ± 5 µg/kg Cr, 18 ± 5 µg/kg As and 18 ± 6 µg/kg Cd were released, representing 14%, 15%, and 26% of their total concentration, respectively. Mass balance was verified for Cr, As, Se, and Cd, demonstrating the reliability of the method. Additionally, different sources of elements were revealed by plotting the temporal profile of one element versus that of another element for each gastro-intestinal fluid. A preliminary quantitative risk assessment indicated that adults can safely consume 105 g mealworm per day. Although no significant noncarcinogenic risk was identified, the incremental lifetime cancer risk of 5.2 × 10−6 for As and 1 × 10−6 for Cr exceeds or equals the Ontario threshold, indicating potential concern. This study is the first to apply the COLM to mealworm while integrating bioaccessibility data for a more realistic risk assessment. However, back-pressure issues result in a relative standard deviation up to 39%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trace Elements and Emerging Contaminants in Sustainable Food Systems: Risks, Regulations, and Remediation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 9211 KB  
Article
Inorganic Arsenic in Rice-Based Beverages: Occurrence in Products Available on the Italian Market and Dietary Exposure Assessment
by Marilena D’Amato, Anna Chiara Turco, Teresa D’Amore, Francesco Vitale, Federico Marini, Paolo Stacchini and Angela Sorbo
Foods 2026, 15(2), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15020383 - 21 Jan 2026
Viewed by 880
Abstract
Arsenic occurs in food in both inorganic (iAs) and organic (oAs) forms. Inorganic arsenic is highly toxic and classified as carcinogenic to humans, whereas oAs species, such as arsenobetaine (AB), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), generally exhibit lower toxicity. Rice and [...] Read more.
Arsenic occurs in food in both inorganic (iAs) and organic (oAs) forms. Inorganic arsenic is highly toxic and classified as carcinogenic to humans, whereas oAs species, such as arsenobetaine (AB), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), generally exhibit lower toxicity. Rice and rice-based products represent major contributors to dietary iAs exposure. Within this context, the present study provides an updated assessment of the occurrence of iAs and oAs in rice-based beverages available on the Italian market. A method for the simultaneous determination of iAs, AB, DMA, and MMA was developed and validated, and it exhibits adequate sensitivity to ensure robust occurrence data, eliminating left-censoring for iAs. A comprehensive analysis of twenty-five representative rice-based beverages was conducted, revealing that the contamination profiles exhibited a high degree of homogeneity, with iAs as the predominant species. All samples complied with the European maximum level for iAs in non-alcoholic rice-based beverages. When combined with recent Italian consumption data, these results enabled age-specific dietary exposure assessment. Although rice drinks contribute marginally to overall population exposure, estimated intakes for regular consumers in early childhood are associated with a small margin of exposure, raising potential concern for vulnerable subgroups. The increasing diversification of dietary habits and the rising consumption of plant-based beverages point to the necessity of continuous monitoring of iAs. Ongoing efforts in monitoring studies, updated food consumption surveys, and effective risk communication are essential to refine exposure assessment and thereby enhance public health protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trace Elements and Emerging Contaminants in Sustainable Food Systems: Risks, Regulations, and Remediation)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop