Antimony in selected foods

Abstract

In this targeted survey, 1,208 samples of food purchased at Canadian grocery stores were analyzed for antimony. Antimony is a metal that can be found naturally in the earth's crust and is used widely in a variety of manufacturing processes, including production of alloys, batteries, and plastics. Samples included domestic and imported beverages, nut and seed butters, condiments, frozen heat-and-serve meals, and processed fruits and vegetable products. None of the samples analyzed in this survey were found to contain a detectable level of antimony, therefore no follow up activities were necessary. The results of this survey and previously published CFIA results (link: https://inspection.canada.ca/en/food-safety-industry/food-chemistry-and-microbiology/food-safety-testing-reports-and-journal-articles/selected-foods) indicated that antimony is rarely found in food, and when found, the levels are very low.