Mercury in foods from the first French total diet study on infants and toddlers.

A very sensitive method using a direct mercury analyser was developed and validated according to the accuracy profile procedure to determine mercury levels in foods mainly consumed by infants and toddlers. Total mercury was not detected (LOD of 0.30µg.kg-1 fresh weight) in 92.4% of the 291 food samples analysed or at relatively low concentrations, lesser than or equal to LB/UB 0.5/1.0µg.kg-1 in all samples, except in fish samples (mean LB/UB 25µg.kg-1 with a maximum of 53µg.kg-1). Levels of total mercury in these foods were in all cases within permitted Regulatory limits of 500 or 1000µg.kg-1 in fishery products and muscle meat of fish.