Elements in mozzarella sold in Slovakia
What it found
In 27 mozzarella samples from the Slovak market, levels of most elements were low, but copper, nickel, lead and antimony were above the set limits in the solid cheese.
The authors say eating mozzarella in Slovakia does not pose a risk.
What they found
Copper above the limit
All solid mozzarella samples had copper levels above the set limit of 0.25 mg/kg, ranging from 4.24 to 5.17 mg/kg. The authors say this is not a threat because mozzarella is not eaten often in Slovakia.
Nickel above the limit
Nickel levels in mozzarella were above the set limit of 0.1 mg/kg, ranging from 0.19 to 1.61 mg/kg. The authors say this is probably from industrial processing and is not a threat due to low consumption.
Lead slightly above the limit
Lead in the solid mozzarella ranged from 0.58 to 0.81 mg/kg, slightly above the set limit of 0.5 to 0.7 mg/kg. Lead was below the detection limit in the whey.
Antimony above the limit
Antimony in the dry matter of mozzarella was 1.09 to 1.38 mg/kg, above the set limit of 0.05 to 0.3 mg/kg. The authors say eating mozzarella in moderation does not pose a threat.
Calcium and magnesium
Mozzarella contained calcium and magnesium, which are important for bones and teeth. Classic and light mozzarella had more calcium than basil mozzarella, and the whey had less than the solid cheese.
Weekly intake estimate
The contribution of barium, nickel, antimony, strontium, lead and zinc to the provisional tolerable weekly intake was very low. The highest was nickel at 29.8%, 32.2% and 14.4% in the solid parts.
What the authors conclude
“The contents of some toxic and trace elements were low and did not exceed the permitted limit.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that the consumption of mozzarella in the Slovak Republic does not pose a higher risk to humans.
- They say that eating mozzarella can contribute to the intake of important essential elements such as calcium and magnesium.
- They state that their data can serve as a valuable addition to research on dairy food safety.
How it was done
The authors wanted to measure essential and toxic elements in mozzarella sold in western Slovakia and estimate how much these elements contribute to the weekly intake for consumers.
They bought 27 mozzarella samples from markets in Nitra, western Slovakia, in 2021. The samples were classic, light and basil mozzarella, plus the whey from each. They measured 17 elements in the solid cheese and whey.
What it can’t tell you
- This study measured element levels in mozzarella samples from one area and did not follow people over time, so it cannot show what health effects might occur from eating mozzarella.
- The risk estimate is based on average consumption amounts and set intake limits, not on actual health outcomes in people.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no competing interests.
- Authors work at
- Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovak Republic; University of Pisa, Italy; Pedagogical University of Cracow, Poland
The paper
- Title
- Levels of Essential and Trace Elements in Mozzarella Available on the Slovak Market with the Estimation of Consumer Exposure
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Capcarova M, Frigenti M, Arvay J, et al (2024). Levels of Essential and Trace Elements in Mozzarella Available on the Slovak Market with the Estimation of Consumer Exposure. Biological trace element research. doi:10.1007/s12011-023-03813-xFree full textPubMed 37594594DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error