Mineral and heavy metal content in canned tuna: Implications for veterinary public health and consumer safety

This study evaluated the concentrations of minerals and heavy metals in canned tuna products available on the Turkish market, with a particular focus on the influence of packaging medium (water, oil, and sauce) on elemental distribution. A total of 105 canned tuna samples were collected from Van Province, Türkiye, comprising equal groups (n = 35) of water-, oil-, and sauce-packed products. Following microwave-assisted acid digestion, concentrations of 15 elements (magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), tin (Sn), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb)) were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Method accuracy was verified using DORM-4 Fish Protein certified reference material, yielding recoveries between 95% and 102% for all analyzed elements. Oil-packed tuna exhibited significantly higher concentrations of most elements compared to water- and sauce-packed samples (p < 0.05), with 2–4-fold differences observed for Mg, P, Fe, and Hg. Mercury concentrations ranged from 0.06 to 2.68 mg/kg, with an overall mean of 0.41 mg/kg, values exceeded the Turkish Food Codex limit (1.0 mg/kg) in 5.71% of samples, predominantly in oil-packed products (mean: 0.62 mg/kg). Arsenic concentrations ranged from 0.31 to 7.08 mg/kg (overall mean: 1.49 mg/kg) and were frequently detected across all packaging types (74–100% of samples). All samples complied with regulatory limits for lead and tin. Health risk assessment based on estimated daily intake and target hazard quotient indicated a potential non-carcinogenic risk associated with arsenic exposure, while mercury exposure approached the risk threshold, particularly for oil-packed tuna. The ICP-MS method, assessed through certified reference material and quality control procedures, demonstrated adequate sensitivity and reliability for elemental analysis of canned tuna products and supports food safety assessment in the Turkish seafood market.