Lead

In the body: In children it acts on the developing brain; in adults, on blood pressure and the kidneys.

No intake of it is known to be safe, so there’s no grams figure. Each food shows what a daily serving adds to an average adult’s intake. None of the 172 rated foods and preparations adds more than 13% per daily serving, depending on how much you already take in. The most is Dark chocolate. 18 more reviewed foods and preparations carry it but aren’t rated by dose: shown for context, or not rated yet.

No safe level known.

All hazards

The reference point, not a limit

The agency starts from a dose linked to an effect in studies, in people or in animals, and judges the margin between that dose and what people take in.

Reference point0.5 µg/kg body weight/day
That dose, for a 70 kg adult35 µg a day
Not a safe amount or an allowance: harm can’t be ruled out below it.
What an average 70 kg adult takes in35 µg a day
About the same as that dose.
Basisbenchmark dose (BMDL): the lower estimate of the dose that produced a set size of effect in studies; the number after it is that size (BMDL10 is 10%, BMDL01 is 1%). A starting point rather than a limit
benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) (developmental neurotoxicity); 1.50 BMDL01 blood pressure; 0.63 BMDL10 kidney (human benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL))
Margin of exposure that raises concern ?10
A margin below this counts as a concern. A margin of exposure is the dose that caused effects in studies divided by what people take in: the smaller it is, the closer people’s intake sits to that dose.
Average adult intake0.5 µg/kg body weight/day EFSA 2012 adult mean (35 µg/day at 70 kg)
Source ?EFSA 2010

Reviewed foods that carry it

157 reviewed foods carry it, 142 of them rated by dose. A food counts once, as in the foods list: preparations sharing a page (raw and cooked, canned) count once; one with its own page counts apart. Below, one line for each of 190 preparations. 172 of those lines are rated by dose. 215 measurements in all. A preparation measured more than once gets one line, the measurement the dataset leads with or a stricter one, named beside the food; the others fold under it.

How often you can eat it ?

No grams figure for Lead: there is no limit to count grams against. Each food shows the method’s rating instead: how much a daily serving adds to the average adult’s intake.

One realistic serving each, rated by dose, not by presence. The most restrictive rating comes first, then the largest dose per serving.

Eastern oysters, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
4.25 µg
per serving
adds 12 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day), so no grams figure. A 125 g serving carries 4.25 µg, 12% of EFSA 2012's adult mean of 35 µg a day, so one daily serving does not double it.
Intake: 125 g raw (HC TRA I.3), one serving a day · Level in the food: 0.034 µg/g (mean, n = 66)
Measured on: CFIA inspection results (not a random survey), OYSTER, AMERICAN, Whole, Live, 2001-2018; basis not stated; mean computed by us; no non-detects
Dark chocolate
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
4.24 µg
per serving
adds 12.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
EFSA 2012 · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a daily 40 g serving carries 4.24 µg of lead, 12.1% of the average adult's intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead.
Intake: one 40 g serving a day, 70 kg adult (Health Canada TRA U.1, 40 g) · Level in the food: 106 µg/kg (mean, n = 36)
Measured on: EFSA 2012 (EFSA J 10(7):2831) Table 12, 'Bitter-sweet chocolate'; 36 analytical results, 3% left-censored; mean MB 106 µg/kg (lower bound = upper bound 106); P95 351; Europe.
2 other measurements of this food
1. EFSA 2012, European bitter chocolate
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  1.8 µg
  per serving
  adds 5.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  EFSA 2012 · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: a daily 40 g serving carries 1.80 µg of lead, 5.1% of the average adult's intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead.
  Intake: one 40 g serving a day, 70 kg adult (Health Canada TRA U.1, 40 g) · Level in the food: 45 µg/kg (mean, n = 28)
  Measured on: EFSA 2012 Table 12, 'Bitter chocolate'; 28 analytical results, 7% left-censored; mean MB 45 µg/kg (lower bound = upper bound 45); P95 120; Europe.
2. US 2014-22, mixed cocoa products (context)
  Context
  Hands 2024 · grade B ?
  How it’s rated
  Shown as context, not rated: the data are mixed products with a selection bias, so they are not used to rate chocolate. No safe threshold is set for lead.
  Intake: not applicable (flag) · Level in the food: 62 µg/kg (mean, n = 72)
  Measured on: Hands et al. 2024: 72 US consumer cocoa-containing products (mixed: dark chocolate, cocoa powder, other), ConsumerLab.com; mean 0.062 µg/g, median 0.05, min 0.009, max 0.269.
Soybeans, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
2.64 µg
per serving
adds 7.3–7.8 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
EFSA 2012 · grade B ?
How it’s rated
lower bound 28, upper bound 30; adds 7.5%
Intake: one 91 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 29 µg/kg (mean, n = 189)
Measured on: food-specific but dry: EFSA 2012 "Soya beans"
Brazil nuts, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
2.46 µg
per serving
adds 7 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Bielecka 2021 · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake of about 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012): 30 g at 82.11 µg/kg gives 2.5 µg, about 7%. That Polish retail mean (10 samples) is 20 to 25 times higher than CFIA import findings of 3.0-3.5 µg/kg, and the gap is not reconciled.
Intake: 30 g shelled serving (HC TRA O.1) · Level in the food: 82.11 µg/kg (mean ± standard deviation 82.11 ± 12.85 (range 63.03-107.02; median 82.47, Q1-Q3 76.38-88.32), n = 10)
Measured on: Polish retail survey (Bielecka 2021), Brazil nuts, 10 samples, GFAAS with detection limit (detection limit) 1.24 µg/kg for Pb; Poland
Tempeh
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
2.46 µg
per serving
adds 6.8–7.3 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
EFSA 2012 · grade B ?
How it’s rated
adds 7.0%
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 29 µg/kg (mean, n = 189)
Measured on: related food: EFSA 2012 "Soya beans" (tofu row: 20, lower bound 14–upper bound 26, 69% non-detect)
Quinoa, dry
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
2.43 µg
per serving
adds 6.9 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Bielecka 2022 · grade B ?
How it’s rated
+6.9% on the 35 µg/day average; below the doubling line. Range 34.26-65.62 µg/kg: every sample 34 µg/kg or above (whether that is a floor near the method's quantification limit is not stated in what I read).
Intake: one 45 g dry serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 53.97 µg/kg dry grain (mean, n = 30)
Measured on: single retail survey, dry grain as purchased, Poland 2021 (grade B)
Beef liver, pan-fried
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
1.608 µg
per serving
adds 4.6 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe threshold is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake of about 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012): a 100 g serving carries 1.6 µg, about 5%. The Health Canada mean is 16.08 µg/kg across 17 composites; German monitoring figures run about 1.4 to 2 times higher.
Intake: 100 g cooked serving (HC TRA L.6) · Level in the food: 16.08 ng/g (µg/kg) (mean (equal-weight over composites, both label eras pooled n-weighted), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS trace elements, BB10 Organ meats (beef or veal liver), as consumed: 15.11 ng/g (13 composites, 2000-2012) and 19.24 ng/g (4 composites, 1999-2018, bilingual file); Canada
Peaches, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
1.581 µg
per serving
adds 4.5 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01), 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day). Health Canada's Total Diet Study mean is 11.29 ng/g (16 single-year composites, none non-detect), so one 140 g serving carries 1.58 µg, 4.5% of the average adult's 35 µg/day, far from doubling it. CFIA fresh peach is lower, a lower-bound mean of 7.56 ng/g (217 samples, maximum 310); the form behind the TDS food is unconfirmed.
Intake: one 140 g serving a day (HC TRA J.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 11.29 ng/g (mean of 16 single-year composites (equal weight), n = 16)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study, food code HH13 "Peaches" (the pack gives no fresh/canned qualifier), As consumed, composites of 2000-2012 and 2016-2018 (16 single-year composites), Canada; equal-weight mean; non-detects stored as 0; the 1993-99 pooled composite is a separate row and is not averaged in
Kale, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
1.55 µg
per serving
85 g × 20.14 µg/kg
adds 4.4 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2016–2023) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set. The CFIA lower-bound mean for imported raw kale is 18.22 µg/kg (52 samples, 19.2% non-detects; maximum 167.2 µg/kg), so an 85 g serving carries 1.55 µg, 4.1–11.4% of an average adult's daily lead intake (13.6 to 37.5 µg/day). That is far from doubling it. FDA's cooked-kale figure (1.8 µg/kg) is about a tenth of this raw figure; the two are different programmes and forms.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 18.22 µg/kg (lower-bound mean over all n, n-weighted over three CFIA import lines (pooled mean of positives of the first line 25.7 µg/kg; 42 of 52 positive); max 167.2 µg/kg, n = 52)
Measured on: CFIA NCRMP annex B2 (imports), 'Kale', fresh, 2016-17 to 2022-23 (n 37 + 13 + 2). Pooled n-weighted over the three import lines (2016-17 to 2018-19 n 37; 2019-20 to 2021-22 n 13; 2022-23 n 2) = n 52, as for iceberg lettuce.
Sweet potato, baked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
1.32 µg
per serving
adds 3.8–4.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
lower bound 12 µg/kg (reported mean; FDA counts non-detects as 0); upper bound at most 13.2 µg/kg by arithmetic (12 + 8 x 4 / 27); adds 3.8-4.1% to the EFSA adult mean of 35 µg/day (0.50 µg/kg body weight/day x 70 kg); no cap
Intake: one 110 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 12 µg/kg (mean, n = 27)
Measured on: food-specific: FDA TDS #397 'Sweet potato, baked, peel removed', 27 samples, 19 detects, 8 non-detects, range ND-43 ppb, reporting limit 4 ppb
Sweet potato, boiled
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
1.32 µg
per serving
adds 3.8–4.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
Same arithmetic as the baked row
Intake: one 110 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 12 µg/kg (mean, n = 27)
Measured on: related preparation: FDA TDS #397 baked, peel removed
Oatmeal, cooked with water
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
1.24 µg
per serving
adds 3.6 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Daily serving adds 3.6% to average adult intake (EFSA 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day = 35 µg/day); below the doubling line
Intake: one 250 mL (247.3 g) cooked serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 5.025 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: Health Canada TDS FF07 oatmeal, as consumed, 17 composites 1999-2018 (one 'Multiple'-city 1999 composite), equal weight
Arugula, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
1.1 µg
per serving
adds 3.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2022–2023) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set, so there is no grams figure; the rating rests on what a serving adds to average intake. An 85 g serving adds 1.10 µg, about 2.7–3.9% of an average adult's 28–41 µg/day (EFSA 2012). The CFIA lower-bound mean is 0.01298 ppm over 56 samples (53 positive, 5.4% non-detects), four annual sets pooled.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.013 ppm (lower-bound mean over all n (53 of 56 positive; mean of positives 0.01371); four annual B6 sets pooled by the checker, n = 56)
Measured on: CFIA annex B6 'Arugula', lead, FOUR years pooled: 2016-17 to 2018-19 (n 31, 29 positive) plus 2019-20 (n 25, 24 positive); n 56, 53 positive; annual annex means 0.0065-0.144, max 0.144 ppm; non-detects counted as 0 (lower bound); raw leaf as sampled
Spinach, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
1 µg
per serving
adds 2.9 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
adds 2.9% to average intake
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 11.85 µg/kg (mean, n = 11)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS GG22
Spinach, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
1 µg
per serving
adds 2.9 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
adds 2.9% to average intake
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 11.85 µg/kg (mean, n = 11)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS GG22
Bok choy, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.94 µg
per serving
adds 2.2–3.2 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
EFSA 2012 · grade B ?
How it’s rated
lower bound 9, upper bound 13 µg/kg; adds 2.2–3.2%
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 11 µg/kg (mean, n = 167)
Measured on: related food: EFSA 2012 "Chinese cabbage" (probably napa)
Maple syrup
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.91 µg
per serving
adds 2.6 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2016–2023) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe threshold is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. Judged by what a daily 79.9 g serving adds to the average adult's intake (35 µg a day): 0.91 µg (2.6%) at the 2016–2023 pooled lower-bound mean, and 0.27 µg (0.8%) at the 2020–2023 lower-bound mean of 0.00336 µg/g. Far from doubling it. The 2016–17 maximum, 0.695 µg/g, is above Health Canada's 0.5 ppm level (the level at which Health Canada says avoidable contamination has occurred); 2 of 567 CFIA tests exceeded it, none after 2016–17 in the annexes read. Background intake is not subtracted.
Intake: one 80 g serving a day (HC TRA U.14), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.011 µg/g (lower bound mean over all tests, pooled 2016-17 to 2022-23: sum(positives x mean of positives) ÷ tests = 0.01137; mean of positives 0.0214; max 0.695, n = 567)
Measured on: CFIA National Chemical Residue Monitoring Program, domestic maple syrup (all provinces; no province field), 7 annual annexes 2016-17 to 2022-23: 567 tests, 301 positives, 2 violations; no detection limit stated (lowest positive 0.002 µg/g)
Sesame seeds, whole
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.9 µg
per serving
adds 2.6 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA 2018–2019 · grade B ?
How it’s rated
Adds about 2.6% to EFSA's average adult intake of 35 µg a day. The mean is over the 9% of samples with a quantifiable result, so it overstates; the true mean including non-detects is lower.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 30 µg/kg (mean of quantifiable results only (positives-only mean), n = 470)
Measured on: category, not sesame-specific: CFIA 'nut/seed products' 2018-19 (9% of samples quantifiable)
Shrimp, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.87 µg
per serving
adds 2.5 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day), so no grams figure is given. Health Canada's total diet study gives a mean of 8.73 ng/g in cooked shrimp (13 composites, none non-detect). A serving carries 0.87 µg, 2.5% of EFSA 2012's adult mean of 35 µg/day, so one daily serving does not double it.
Intake: 100 g cooked (HC TRA I.3), one serving a day · Level in the food: 8.73 ng/g (mean of composites, n = 13)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study, DD04 'Shellfish (cooked shrimp)', as consumed, 13 composites 2000-2012, no non-detects. Bilingual name: 10.04 ng/g, n=4, 1999-2018.
White rice, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.81 µg
per serving
adds 2.3 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No safe threshold. One serving a day carries 0.81 µg, adding 2.3% to EFSA's adult average of 35 µg/day: no cap. Without the 1999 composite, 5.84 µg/kg (the same 2.3%); the three most recent composites, 1.86 µg/kg (0.7%). FDA Total Diet Study: all 27 cooked white enriched rice composites non-detect (reporting limit 4 µg/kg).
Intake: one serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 5.78 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS FF19, 17 composites (16 from 2000-2018 plus one 1993-1999 'Multiple' average composite), as consumed
Raisins
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.759 µg
per serving
adds 2.2 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01)), so no grams figure is given. Health Canada's total diet study gives a mean of 18.98 ng/g in raisins (17 composites, none non-detect). A serving carries 0.759 µg and adds about 2.2% to the average adult's lead intake (35 µg/day), far from doubling it.
Intake: one 40 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 18.98 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS HH17 composites, lead n 17 (13 composites 2000-2012 mean 16.64 ng/g; 4 composites 1999-2018 mean 26.59 ng/g; none non-detect), as consumed. FDA TDS food 95: 9.7 µg/kg (n 3, all detected).
Tomatoes, canned
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.755 µg
per serving
adds 2.2 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No safe threshold is set for lead. A serving adds about 2.2% to the average adult lead intake (35 µg/day), far from doubling it, so no cap. Without 1999 the mean is 6.02 (n 16); the three most recent (2016-2018) 3.19, so lead in canned tomatoes has fallen since 2000-2012 (peak 11.2 in 2007). FDA 'Sauce, tomato, canned': 0 of 3 detected, reporting limit 4 ppb.
Intake: one 125 mL serving a day (Health Canada V.1; 125 g by the 1 g/mL convention), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 6.04 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight), n = 17)
Measured on: category: HC TDS GG21 (canned tomatoes and sauce), 16 composites 2000-2018 plus the 1999 "Multiple" composite (GG24, 6.36)
Whey protein concentrate
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.75 µg
per serving
adds 2.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA 2018 · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a 30 g serving at the lower-bound mean of 0.0251 µg/g carries 0.75 µg, 2.1% of EFSA's adult average lead intake of 35 µg a day (20% at the highest sample, 0.237 µg/g), far below doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. The samples cover protein powders of all types, not whey alone.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.025 ppm (mean (all samples, non-detects = 0), n = 196)
Measured on: CFIA targeted survey 'Toxic Metals in Selected Foods', April 2018 to March 2019, product 'Protein Powder' (ALL protein types, plant and rice included; whey cannot be separated), n = 196 samples in the open-data rows (the report counts 195): 72 domestic, 34 imported, 90 origin unknown; bought in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary; results in µg/g (= ppm) 'as sold'. Mean recomputed from the CKAN rows with non-detects as 0 (lower bound); the report's own average uses quantifiable results only.
Whey protein isolate
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.75 µg
per serving
adds 2.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA 2018 · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a 30 g serving at the lower-bound mean of 0.0251 µg/g carries 0.75 µg, 2.1% of EFSA's adult average lead intake of 35 µg a day (20% at the highest sample, 0.237 µg/g), far below doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. The samples cover protein powders of all types, not whey alone.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.025 ppm (mean (all samples, non-detects = 0), n = 196)
Measured on: CFIA targeted survey 'Toxic Metals in Selected Foods', April 2018 to March 2019, product 'Protein Powder' (ALL protein types, plant and rice included; whey cannot be separated), n = 196 samples in the open-data rows (the report counts 195): 72 domestic, 34 imported, 90 origin unknown; bought in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary; results in µg/g (= ppm) 'as sold'. Mean recomputed from the CKAN rows with non-detects as 0 (lower bound); the report's own average uses quantifiable results only.
Cherries, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.738 µg
per serving
adds 2.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2016–2023) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set, so there is no grams figure; the rating rests on what a serving adds to average intake. One 140 g serving carries 0.74 µg, 2.1% of an average adult's 35 µg/day. The CFIA lower-bound mean is 5.271 ng/g over 108 samples (74.1% non-detects), from targeted inspection rather than a random survey.
Intake: one 140 g serving a day (HC TRA J.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 5.271 ng/g (lower-bound mean over all n, n = 108)
Measured on: CFIA NCRMP annexes B1 (domestic) and B2 (import), fresh cherry commodity 'Cherry', 2016-17 to 2022-23, Canada; n 108 and positives 28 pooled by the script; lower-bound mean over all n (non-detects as 0); targeted inspection, not a random survey
Carrots, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.73 µg
per serving
adds 2.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
adds 2.1%
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 8.54 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS GG06
Pasta, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.727 µg
per serving
adds 2.08 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
215 g x 3.38 µg/kg = 0.73 µg, 2.1% of the average adult lead intake (35 µg/day, EFSA): far from doubling it, so no cap.
Intake: one 215 g cooked serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.38 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: Health Canada TDS FF16 'Pasta, plain' (as consumed), 17 composites (one multi-city 1999 composite plus 2000-2018), all detected. FDA TDS #347 spaghetti, enriched, boiled: 0 of 3 detected (RL 4 ppb)
Cakes
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.712 µg
per serving
adds 2 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: an 80 g serving carries 0.71 µg, 2.04% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day, well under doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day).
Intake: one 80 g reference serving a day (Health Canada TRA A.6), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 8.905 ng/g (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: Health Canada Total Diet Study FF04 'Cake (Cake with icing)', 17 composites, 1999-2012 and 2016-2018, Canada, as consumed
Pistachios, dry-roasted
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.65 µg
per serving
adds 1.9 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Bielecka 2021 · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. A 30 g serving at the Polish retail mean of 21.73 µg/kg (10 samples) carries 0.65 µg, 0.0093 µg/kg body weight/day, 1.9% of that reference point. A Canadian survey found lead in 1 of 3 samples (9.1 µg/kg).
Intake: 30 g shelled serving (HC TRA O.1) · Level in the food: 21.73 µg/kg (mean ± standard deviation 21.73 ± 20.34 (range 3.25-77.88; median 15.80, Q1-Q3 10.16-27.52), n = 10)
Measured on: Polish retail survey (Bielecka 2021), pistachios, 10 samples, GFAAS with Pb detection limit (detection limit) 1.24 µg/kg; Poland
Medjool dates
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.64 µg
per serving
adds 1.8 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
PubMed 38776020 · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set, so there is no grams figure; the rating rests on what a serving adds to average intake. A 40 g serving at 0.016 µg/g carries 0.64 µg, about 1.8% of an average adult's 35 µg/day; the worst sample (0.118 mg/kg) would give 4.7 µg, 13%. The data are 84 Moroccan date samples (lead detected in 39, one above the Codex limit of 0.10 mg/kg), and the abstract does not say whether the average covers all samples or only positives.
Intake: one 40 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.016 mg/kg (mean (the abstract does not say whether over all 84 samples or the 39 positives), n = 84)
Measured on: El Youssfi et al. 2025: same 84 Moroccan date samples; Pb detected in 39 (46.43%), range 0.0001-0.118 mg/kg, average 0.016 mg/kg; one sample above the Codex limit of 0.10 mg/kg. Weight basis not stated.
Orange juice
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.63 µg
per serving
adds 1.8 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01). Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake: a serving carries 0.63 µg, about 1.8% on top of 35 µg a day, far from doubling it.
Intake: one 250 mL glass (262 g) a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 2.403 µg/kg (mean (pooled by sample count), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS HH08 Citrus juice, frozen (Orange Juice, frozen conc), as consumed: 13 composites 2000-2012 mean 2.8 ng/g (0 non-detects) plus 4 composites 1999/2016-2018 under the bilingual label mean 1.113 ng/g (0 non-detects); pooled by sample count. Juice made from frozen concentrate, reconstituted: the as-consumed basis.
Cod, baked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.602 µg
per serving
adds 1.7 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. FDA's baked cod found no lead in 27 of 27 composites (reporting limit 4 ppb), so FDA has no mean; the figure here is Health Canada's composite of haddock, cod and sole, 6.0156 µg/kg, not cod alone. A serving carries 0.6016 µg.
Intake: 100 g cooked serving (HC TRA I.3) · Level in the food: 6.016 ng/g (µg/kg) (mean (equal-weight over composites, both label eras pooled n-weighted), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS, DD01 Fish, marine (haddock, Cod, and Sole), as consumed: 13 composites 2000-2012 (mean 5.821, 0 non-detects) and 4 composites 1999 and 2016-2018 (mean 6.648)
Cashews, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.6 µg
per serving
adds 1.7 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Bielecka 2021 · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. A 30 g serving at 20.05 µg/kg carries 0.60 µg, 0.0086 µg/kg body weight/day, 1.7% of the BMDL01. The Polish retail mean (Bielecka 2021, 10 samples) is about 4 times the CFIA import means of 0.0027-0.00539 ppm.
Intake: 30 g shelled serving (HC TRA O.1) · Level in the food: 20.05 µg/kg (mean ± standard deviation 20.05 ± 18.12 (range 2.44-53.99; median 12.06, Q1-Q3 7.89-30.94), n = 10)
Measured on: Polish retail survey (Bielecka 2021), cashews, 10 samples, GFAAS with detection limit (detection limit) 1.24 µg/kg for Pb; Poland
Black tea, brewed
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.593 µg
per serving
per cup
adds 1.7 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a daily cup of black tea carries 0.593 µg of lead, 1.7% of EFSA's average adult intake (0.50 µg/kg body weight/day = 35 µg/day) and 8.5% of the Canadian figure of about 0.1 µg/kg body weight/day, far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. At the 2016-2018 mean (0.27 ng/g) a cup carries 0.067 µg: 0.2% and 1.0%. Lead in tea fell about tenfold between 2000-2012 and 2016-2018. FDA Total Diet Study: not detected, reporting limit 1 ppb, 3 samples.
Intake: one 250 mL (250 g) cup a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 2.374 ng/g (mean (equal-weight), n = 17)
Measured on: Canadian TDS (Health Canada, open.canada.ca dataset 83934503-cfae-4773-b258-e336896c2c53), item KK06 'Tea (Black tea)', Basis for Result 'As consumed', Intended Use 'Ready-to-eat', composites 1999 (average of 1993-99) and 2000-2012, 2016-2018, Canadian cities; the brewing recipe is not stated in the record; 17 records incl. the 1993-99 average record (16 without it: MB 2.345); 2 non-detects (detection limit (detection limit) 0.74 in 2010, 2.2 in 2011); lower bound 2.287, upper bound 2.460; recent 2016-18 mean 0.27
Mackerel, canned
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.55 µg
per serving
adds 1.57 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
Adds 1.57-1.57% (lower bound-upper bound) to the average adult intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA, 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day at 70 kg). No safe threshold exists (benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) is the level of concern); far below the doubling line.
Intake: one 55 g drained serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 10 µg/kg (mean, n = 1)
Measured on: single sample: CFIA MACKEREL, ATLANTIC canned 2017 (0.01 ppm)
Sardines, canned in oil
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.55 µg
per serving
adds 1.6 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
+1.6% of EFSA average adult intake (35 µg/day); value rounded to 2 decimals so 0.8-2.4%
Intake: one 55 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 10 µg/kg (single product, n = 1)
Measured on: food-specific: same CFIA canned sardine sample, 2020
Sardines, canned in water
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.55 µg
per serving
adds 1.6 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
+1.6% of EFSA average adult intake (35 µg/day); value rounded to 2 decimals so 0.8-2.4%
Intake: one 55 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 10 µg/kg (single product, n = 1)
Measured on: food-specific: same CFIA canned sardine sample, 2020
Sauerkraut
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.54 µg
per serving
adds 1.54 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
EFSA 2012 · grade A ?
How it’s rated
30 g x 18 µg/kg = 0.54 µg, 1.5% of the average adult lead intake (35 µg/day, EFSA): far from doubling it, so no cap. At the 95th percentile (52 µg/kg) 1.56 µg, 4.5%. The Canadian Total Diet Study has no sauerkraut composite.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 18 µg/kg (mean, n = 76)
Measured on: food-specific: EFSA 2012 FoodEx level 3 'Sauerkraut', 76 results, 12% left-censored, lower bound 18 / upper bound 18; P95 52 µg/kg; 2,723 consumers
Black beans, canned
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.52 µg
per serving
adds 1.5 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Lower bound 0; upper bound (RL 4 µg/kg x 130 g) adds at most 1.5 % to the 35 µg/day average adult intake
Intake: one 130 g serving a day (FDC RACC weight, illustrative: no Health Canada weight for 125 mL of drained black beans), 70 kg adult
Measured on: food-specific: FDA TDS #527 "Beans, black, canned, drained solids", 3 of 3 non-detects, RL 4 µg/kg
Quinoa, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.52 µg
per serving
adds 1.5 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Lower bound 3.7, upper bound 6.3 µg/kg (non-detects at the reporting limit of 4); adds 1.5-2.5% to the average adult intake of 35 µg/day: far from doubling it, so no cap. No safe threshold is set for lead.
Intake: one 140 g cooked serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.7 µg/kg (mean, n = 3)
Measured on: food-specific agency data: FDA TDS FY2018-2020 #522 'Quinoa, cooked', 3 composites
Apple (Fuji), raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.5 µg
per serving
adds 1.4 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
A daily serving adds 1.4% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (1.3% without the 1999 composite, mean 3.18 µg/kg; 0.6% on the mean of the three most recent, 1.44), far from doubling it, so no cap. FDA Total Diet Study, red apple with peel: 0 of 27 detected, reporting limit 4 µg/kg (at the limit, at most 0.56 µg a serving, +1.6%).
Intake: one 140 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.56 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific but generic apple: HC TDS HH03, 17 composites (16 from 2000-2018 plus one 1999 'Multiple' composite of 9.63)
Green beans, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.48 µg
per serving
adds 1.4 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
adds 1.4%
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 5.62 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS GG02
Strawberries, frozen
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.479 µg
per serving
adds 1.4 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2016–2023) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01)), so no grams figure is given. This is the same figure as for fresh strawberries, since the FDA figure pools raw and frozen and the CFIA commodity does not say fresh or frozen: mean 3.42 µg/kg in 258 samples (69% non-detects), 0.479 µg in a serving. A daily serving adds about 1.4% to the average adult's lead intake (35 µg/day), far from doubling it.
Intake: one 140 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.42 µg/kg (mean, n = 258)
Measured on: CFIA NCRMP 2016-17 to 2022-23, commodity 'Strawberry', domestic B1 (n 63, 23 positives, lower-bound mean 5.25 µg/kg) and import B2 (n 195, 58 positives, 2.83 µg/kg) pooled by sample count; non-detects as 0. FDA TDS (food 86) found lead in none of 27 samples (reporting limit 4 µg/kg), so it gives no mean.
Strawberries, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.479 µg
per serving
adds 1.4 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2016–2023) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01)), so no grams figure is given. The CFIA mean is 3.42 µg/kg in 258 domestic and import samples (69% non-detects), 0.479 µg in a serving; the FDA found lead in none of 27 samples. A daily serving adds about 1.4% to the average adult's lead intake (35 µg/day), far from doubling it.
Intake: one 140 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.42 µg/kg (mean, n = 258)
Measured on: CFIA NCRMP 2016-17 to 2022-23, commodity 'Strawberry', domestic B1 (n 63, 23 positives, lower-bound mean 5.25 µg/kg) and import B2 (n 195, 58 positives, 2.83 µg/kg) pooled by sample count; non-detects as 0. FDA TDS (food 86) found lead in none of 27 samples (reporting limit 4 µg/kg), so it gives no mean.
Brussels sprouts, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.45 µg
per serving
adds 1.3 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Adds 1.3% to EFSA's average adult intake (35 µg/day at 70 kg) at the Canadian mean; the highest composite, 10.4 µg/kg, adds 2.5%. FDA: all 27 samples were below the 4 µg/kg reporting limit (lower bound 0; with the reporting limit as the upper bound, 0.34 µg per serving, +1.0%, on Foodtopsy's arithmetic). Every reading is far from doubling intake, so no cap.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 5.25 µg/kg (mean, n = 11)
Measured on: food-specific: Health Canada TDS GG24 'Brussel sprouts', 11 composites 2005-2018, 'As consumed' (FDA TDS #263 boiled: 27 of 27 non-detects, a conflicting picture)
Potato, baked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.45 µg
per serving
adds 1.3 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Adds 1.3% to the average adult intake (35 µg/day, EFSA 2012 mean), so no cap. Mean without the 1999 composite 3.84 µg/kg; the three most recent composites (2016-2018) 2.15 µg/kg. EFSA puts mean adult intake at 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day, level with its 0.50 reference point (BMDL01), so lead is judged by what a serving adds.
Intake: one 110 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4.12 µg/kg (mean, n = 10)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS GG26 'Potatoes, baked with skins' (9 composites 2007–2018) plus one 1999 composite (GG17, 6.6 µg/kg); non-detects stored as 0
Tahini
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.45 µg
per serving
15 g × 30 µg/kg
adds 1.3 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA 2018–2019 · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe threshold is set for lead. A 15.0 g serving at 30 µg/kg (CFIA nut and seed products, 2018-19, 470 samples, mean of the 9% quantifiable results only) carries 0.45 µg, 1.3% of EFSA's average adult intake of 35 µg a day, so the mean probably overstates. The category is not sesame-specific, and a study reports that grinding raised lead in tahini over the seed (no numbers in the abstract).
Intake: one 15.0 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 30 µg/kg (mean of quantifiable results only (positives-only mean; 9% of samples quantifiable), n = 470)
Measured on: category, not sesame-specific: CFIA 'nut/seed products' 2018-19 as for cadmium
Asparagus, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.434 µg
per serving
adds 1.1–1.5 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set, so there is no grams figure; the rating rests on what a serving adds to average intake. An 85 g serving of boiled asparagus adds 0.43 µg, about 1.1–1.5% of an average adult's 28–41 µg/day (EFSA 2012). The Health Canada Total Diet Study mean of 5.105 µg/kg (11 composites, no non-detects) is a lower bound.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 5.105 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight of single-year composites), n = 11)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study trace elements, TDS food GG23 'Asparagus (Cooked asparagus)', as consumed, Canada; 11 single-year composites (2005-2012, 2016, 2017, 2018); non-detects stored as 0 (none occurred), so a lower bound
Chia seeds
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.41 µg
per serving
at 27.3 µg/kg
adds 1.2 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2016–2023) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake of about 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012): 15 g at 27.3 µg/kg adds 0.41 µg, about 1.2%. The single highest sample (145 µg/kg) would give 2.2 µg in a serving, 6%.
Intake: 15 g serving (HC TRA C.5) · Level in the food: 27.3 µg/kg (highest annual mean of positives (range of annual means 6.4-27.3 µg/kg); 33 of 38 samples positive; max 145 µg/kg, n = 38)
Measured on: CFIA NCRMP annex B6 (imports) 2017-18 to 2020-21, 'Seed - Chia', 38 samples, 33 positive, 0 violations; the annex states no detection limit (detection limit)
Chia seeds, ground
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.41 µg
per serving
at 27.3 µg/kg
adds 1.2 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2016–2023) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set, so there is no grams figure; the rating rests on what a serving adds to average intake. A 15.0 g serving at the highest annual mean (27.3 µg/kg) carries 0.41 µg, about 1.2% of an average adult's 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012); the single highest sample (145 µg/kg) would give 2.2 µg, 6%. The data are CFIA import samples of whole seed (38 samples, 33 positive); milling does not change the concentration.
Intake: 15 g serving (HC TRA C.5) · Level in the food: 27.3 µg/kg (highest annual mean of positives (range of annual means 6.4-27.3 µg/kg); 33 of 38 samples positive; max 145 µg/kg, n = 38)
Measured on: CFIA NCRMP annex B6 (imports) 2017-18 to 2020-21, 'Seed - Chia', 38 samples, 33 positive, 0 violations; the annex states no detection limit (detection limit)
Beets, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.4 µg
per serving
adds 1–1.4 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set, so there is no grams figure; the rating rests on what a serving adds to average intake. An 85 g serving of boiled beets adds 0.40 µg, about 1.0–1.4% of an average adult's 28–41 µg/day (EFSA 2012). The Health Canada Total Diet Study mean of 4.715 µg/kg (16 composites, no non-detects) is a lower bound.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4.715 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight of single-year composites), n = 16)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS GG03 'Beets (Pickled, canned, and fresh cooked)', as consumed; 16 single-year composites 2000-2012 and 2016-2018; non-detects stored as 0 (none), lower bound. The pooled 1993-99 composite (2.82 ng/g, n 1) is a separate row and is NOT averaged in.
Farmed salmon, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.4 µg
per serving
at most: every sample at the 4 µg/kg reporting limit
adds 1.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
A daily serving adds at most 1.1% to EFSA's adult average of 35 µg/day, far from doubling it, so no cap.
Intake: one 100 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0 µg/kg (reporting limit, n = 27)
Measured on: food-specific: salmon steaks/fillets, baked (FDA TDS #318), all 27 non-detect
Beef steak, top loin, grilled
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.386 µg
per serving
adds 1.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: one 100 g cooked serving adds 1.10% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010: benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day, based on developmental neurotoxicity). The serving carries 0.386 µg.
Intake: one 100 g cooked serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.855 ng/g (µg/kg) (mean (equal-weight over composites, both label eras pooled n-weighted), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS BB01 "Beef, steak (sirloin and T-bone)", As consumed, Canada, 17 composites: 13 in 2000-2012 (mean 4.041) and 4 in 1999 and 2016-2018 (mean 3.252); no non-detects; roast item BB02: pooled 2.7792, n = 17; non-detects stored as 0 (lower bound); detection limit (detection limit) range 0-0
Kidney beans, cooked
Nothing to watch: rated by margin of exposure
0.376 µg
per serving
per 100 g
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe threshold is set for lead, so no grams figure. A serving carries 0.38 µg per 100 g, taken from a related product (Health Canada canned baked beans), not from boiled kidney beans; the share of the average adult's lead intake was not computed.
Intake: 100 g cooked beans (illustration) · Level in the food: 3.76 ng/g (mean of 16 composites, related product (non-detects as 0), n = 16)
Measured on: related product, NOT boiled kidney beans: Health Canada TDS GG01 'Baked beans, canned', 2000-2018 (12 composites mean 3.785; 4 composites mean 3.704)
Coffee, brewed
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.375 µg
per serving
adds 1.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a daily cup adds 0.375 µg to the average adult's lead intake, 1.1% of EFSA's 35 µg/day (0.50 µg/kg body weight/day) and 5.4% of Canada's figure of about 7 µg/day (0.1 µg/kg body weight/day), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. On the three most recent composites (mean 0.498 µg/kg, 0.125 µg a cup) the shares are 0.4% and 1.8%. The mean of all 17 composites (1.498 µg/kg) counts a 1999 record that is a seven-year average; without it the mean is 1.431.
Intake: one 250 mL cup (250.25 g) a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.498 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight, 17 composites incl. the 1999 record), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS trace elements, KK04 'Coffee (Instant and brewed coffee)' (KK03 for the 1999 multi-city record), as consumed; 1 non-detect (detection limit (detection limit) 0.83) stored as 0
1 other measurement of this food
1. US FDA TDS 2018-20, none detected in 3 samples
  Nothing to watch: rated by margin of exposure
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: none of 3 brewed-coffee samples was detected (reporting limit 1 ppb). At the reporting limit a cup would carry at most 0.25 µg, 0.7% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day. No safe threshold is set for lead.
  Intake: one 250 mL cup (250.25 g) a day, 70 kg adult
  Measured on: FDA TDS FY2018-2020, #305 'Coffee, brewed from ground', 3 samples, reporting limit 1 ppb
Cucumber, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.375 µg
per serving
adds 1.07 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day. Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012): 0.375 µg a serving, 1.07%. The Health Canada composite (4.412 ng/g) covers fresh and pickled cucumbers, so it may overstate fresh ones; FDA found no lead in 27 peeled raw cucumbers at a reporting limit of 4 ppb.
Intake: one serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4.412 ng/g (mean (equal-weight of composites; 2000-2012 and 1999-2018 sets pooled by n), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS, GG10 'Cucumbers (Fresh and pickled)': 13 composites 2000-2012 (3.74 ng/g) and 4 composites (6.598 ng/g, 1999-2018 set), as consumed, no non-detects.
Milk chocolate
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.37 µg
per serving
adds 1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a daily 40 g serving carries 0.37 µg of lead, 1.0% of the average adult's intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead.
Intake: one 40 g serving a day, 70 kg adult (Health Canada TRA U.1, 40 g) · Level in the food: 9.127 µg/kg (mean, n = 15)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS JJ01 'Chocolate bars (Plain chocolate bars)' (bar type not stated), 15 composites 2000-2007, 2009-2012, 2016-2018, as consumed, all detected. Canada.
1 other measurement of this food
1. EFSA 2012, European milk chocolate
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  1.48 µg
  per serving
  adds 4.2 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  EFSA 2012 · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: a daily 40 g serving carries 1.48 µg of lead, 4.2% of the average adult's intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead.
  Intake: one 40 g serving a day, 70 kg adult (Health Canada TRA U.1, 40 g) · Level in the food: 37 µg/kg (mean, n = 109)
  Measured on: EFSA 2012 (EFSA J 10(7):2831) Table 12, 'Milk chocolate'; 109 analytical results, 28% left-censored; mean MB 37 µg/kg (lower bound-upper bound 36-39); P95 160; Europe, results mainly 2003-2011.
Whole-wheat bread
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.37 µg
per serving
adds 1.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Adds about 1.1% to EFSA's average adult lead intake (0.50 µg/kg body weight/day, or 35 µg/day), so no cap. No safe threshold is set for lead (level of concern 10).
Intake: one 75 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4.95 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS FF02 'Bread, whole wheat', 17 composites (one multi-year 1993-1999 'Multiple' composite at 12.2 + 16 annual 2000-2018); 0 non-detects
White bread
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.367 µg
per serving
adds 1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a 75 g serving carries 0.37 µg, 1.05% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day, well under doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day).
Intake: one 75 g reference serving a day (Health Canada TRA A.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4.894 ng/g (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: Health Canada Total Diet Study FF01 'Bread, white', 17 composites, 1999-2012 and 2016-2018, Canada, as consumed
Ham, sliced
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.36 µg
per serving
adds 1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake (EFSA 2012: 35 µg a day at 70 kg). A 55 g serving carries 0.36 µg, 1.0% of that, well under a doubling.
Intake: one 55 g reference serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 6.554 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight of composites; two label eras pooled by n), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS food BB05 'Pork, cured (ham and bacon)', as consumed, Canada; 2000-2012 n 13 (mean 6.398) + 1999 and 2016-2018 n 4 (mean 7.063) pooled by n (n 17); non-detects stored as 0, none occurred
Iceberg lettuce, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.36 µg
per serving
85 g × 4.25 µg/kg
adds 1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2016–2023) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set. The CFIA lower-bound mean for imported head lettuce is 4.25 µg/kg (158 samples, 78.5% non-detects; maximum 249.5 µg/kg), so an 85 g serving carries 0.36 µg, about 1.0–2.6% of an average adult's daily lead intake (13.6 to 37.5 µg/day), far from doubling it. FDA found none in 27 raw iceberg samples (reporting limit 4 µg/kg).
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4.25 µg/kg (lower-bound mean over all n (34 of 158 positive; max 249.5 µg/kg), n = 158)
Measured on: CFIA NCRMP annex B2 (imports), 'Lettuce - head', fresh, 2017-18 to 2022-23. Pooled as an n-weighted mean of the annex rows' lower-bound means over all n, 4 import lines (2017-18+2018-19 n 102; 2019-20+2020-21 n 26; 2021-22 n 17; 2022-23 n 13) = n 158; domestic n 41 (4 lines). Years pooled: 2017-18 to 2022-23, no single-year composite mixed with a multi-year one without n weighting.
White beans, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.36 µg
per serving
adds 1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
Daily serving adds about 1.0% to average adult intake (0.5% at the recent mean); no cap
Intake: one 95 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.76 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
Measured on: related product: Health Canada TDS GG01 "Baked beans, canned", 16 composites 1999-2018, equal-weight mean; recent 2012-2018 (n = 4) mean 1.83; falling trend
Broccoli, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.35 µg
per serving
adds 1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
adds 1.0%
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4.06 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
Measured on: food-specific: Health Canada TDS GG04. Health Canada's open data hold 17 GG04 lead composites (mean 4.447 ng/g, including one composite at 10.67 ng/g); the 4.06 ng/g used here is the mean of the other 16, without the 10.67 composite.
1 other measurement of this food
1. US FDA TDS 2018-20, none detected in 27 samples
  Nothing to watch: rated by margin of exposure
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: no safe limit is set for lead. It was not detected in 27 samples at a reporting limit of 4 ppb, so an 85 g serving contributes below 0.34 µg.
  Intake: one 85 g serving a day (Health Canada TRA V.1), 70 kg adult
  Measured on: US FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-2020, TDS food 113 'Broccoli, fresh/frozen, boiled': 27 samples, 0 detects, reporting limit 4 ppb
Broccoli, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.35 µg
per serving
adds 1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
adds 1.0%
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4.06 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS GG04
Cookies
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.35 µg
per serving
adds 1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a 30 g serving carries 0.35 µg, 1.00% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day, well under doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day).
Intake: one 30 g reference serving a day (Health Canada TRA A.10), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 11.652 ng/g (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: Health Canada Total Diet Study FF09 'Cookies', 17 composites, 1999-2012 and 2016-2018, Canada, as consumed
Chickpeas, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.348 µg
per serving
upper bound
adds 0.99 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
lower bound 0, upper bound 4 µg/kg; at most +0.9-1.0% to the EFSA average of 35 µg/day
Intake: one 87 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0 µg/kg (single sample, n = 1)
Measured on: FDA TDS #545 (canned chickpeas applied to boiled weight: same species, different preparation); n = 1, non-detect at reporting limit 4 µg/kg
Pies
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.346 µg
per serving
adds 1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a 110 g serving of apple pie carries 0.35 µg, 0.99% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day, well under doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day).
Intake: one 110 g reference serving a day (Health Canada TRA A.22), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.148 ng/g (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: Health Canada Total Diet Study FF17 'Pie, apple', 17 composites, 1999-2012 and 2016-2018, Canada, as consumed (1 non-detects stored as 0)
Black beans, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.34 µg
per serving
adds 0.5–1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No safe level is set for lead. A daily serving adds about 1.0% to the average adult's intake of 35 µg/day (0.5% at the recent mean, 1.83 µg/kg), far from doubling it, so no cap.
Intake: one 91 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.76 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
Measured on: related product: Health Canada TDS GG01 "Baked beans, canned", 16 composites 1999-2018, equal-weight mean; 2008-2018 about 1.9, 2000-2007 about 4.7
Butternut squash, baked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.34 µg
per serving
upper bound, at the reporting limit
adds 0.97 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. In the FDA Total Diet Study none of 27 boiled-squash samples had lead above the 4 ppb reporting limit, so an 85 g serving carries at most 0.34 µg, up to 0.97% of the average adult's 35 µg a day, and zero if the true value is below the limit. CFIA found lead in 33 of 151 raw squash samples (lower-bound mean 3.49 µg/kg), so the non-detect is a detection limit, not proof of absence; the data are boiled squash, not baked.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day (HC TRA V.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4 µg/kg (reporting limit (all 27 samples non-detect), n = 27)
Measured on: US FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-FY2020, TDS food 126 "Squash, winter, fresh/frozen, boiled", n 27 samples, United States. BOILED not baked (no baked winter-squash entry in the elements summary); the summary prints mean N/A when all 27 are non-detects, and does not state how non-detects enter a partial mean.
Pinto beans, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.34 µg
per serving
adds 1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
Daily serving adds about 1.0% to average adult intake (0.5% at the recent mean); no cap
Intake: one 90 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.76 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
Measured on: related product: Health Canada TDS GG01 "Baked beans, canned", 16 composites 1999-2018, equal-weight mean; recent 2012-2018 (n = 4) mean 1.83; falling trend
Sweet corn, frozen, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.34 µg
per serving
at most, at the reporting limit
adds 0.8–1.2 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake (EFSA 2012 middle-bound mean 0.40-0.59 µg/kg body weight/day, 28-41 µg/day): lead was not detected in 27 samples at a reporting limit of 4 ppb, so even at that limit 85 g adds at most 0.34 µg, under 1.3%.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4 ppb (reporting limit (no detects in 27 samples), n = 27)
Measured on: FDA TDS FY2018-2020, 'Corn, frozen, boiled', 27 samples, none detected, reporting limit 4 ppb; the mean is N/A. The stored 4 ppb is the reporting limit, so it is an upper bound, not a measured concentration.
Tofu, calcium-set
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.34 µg
per serving
adds 0.97 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
lower bound 0, upper bound 4 µg/kg: adds 0-1.0% to the average adult intake (35 µg a day). For comparison only, EFSA's 20 µg/kg would give 1.7 µg (+4.9%), also no cap
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4 µg/kg (reporting limit (single non-detect), n = 1)
Measured on: food-specific: FDA TDS FY2018-2020 #547 (not detected; lower bound 0, upper bound = reporting limit 4); EFSA 2012 tofu row (20 µg/kg, lower bound 14-upper bound 26, 69% non-detect, quoted secondhand) not opened: access to it was blocked
Green peas, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.334 µg
per serving
adds 0.95 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Adds about 1.0% to the EFSA average adult intake of 35 µg/day (and 0.95% of the 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) expressed per day at 70 kg); far below the doubling line. Excluding the 1999 composite the mean is 3.27 µg/kg (0.8%)
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.925 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: Health Canada TDS food GG14 'Peas (Cooked from frozen and canned)', 17 composites 1999-2018 (the 1999 composite is 'Multiple' cities); pools frozen and canned peas
Ground beef, 80% lean, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.329 µg
per serving
adds 0.94 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No safe threshold is set for lead. A daily serving adds about 0.9% to the average adult's intake (35 µg/day, EFSA 2012), far from doubling it, so no cap.
Intake: one 60 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 5.48 µg/kg (mean (equal weight), n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: Beef Ground, Medium (Health Canada TDS BB03, 'As consumed', Ready-to-eat), 17 composites 1999-2018
Chickpeas, canned
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.328 µg
per serving
upper bound
adds 0.94 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
lower bound 0, upper bound 4 µg/kg; at most +0.9-1.0% to the EFSA average of 35 µg/day
Intake: one 82 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0 µg/kg (single sample, n = 1)
Measured on: FDA TDS #545 (food-specific: chickpeas, canned, drained solids); n = 1, non-detect at reporting limit 4 µg/kg
Mushrooms, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.326 µg
per serving
adds 0.8–1.2 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake (EFSA 2012: 0.40–0.59 µg/kg body weight/day, 28–41 µg a day, middle bound). An 85 g serving adds 0.33 µg, about 0.8–1.2% of that.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.84 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight of composites; two sets pooled by n), n = 16)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS GG12 mushrooms (cooked and raw), as consumed; 2000-2012 n 13 and 2016-2018 n 3 pooled by n (n 16); no non-detects
Celery, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.306 µg
per serving
adds 0.7–1.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake (EFSA 2012 middle-bound mean 0.40-0.59 µg/kg body weight/day, 28-41 µg/day for 70 kg): 85 g of celery adds 0.31 µg, about 0.7-1.1%, far below doubling. The Health Canada mean is 3.597 µg/kg, a lower bound.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.597 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight of composites; two sets pooled by n), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS GG08 celery, as consumed; 2000-2012 n 13 (1 non-detect) and 1999-2018 set n 4 (0 non-detects), pooled by n (n 17); non-detects stored as 0, so lower bound
Dried cranberries, sweetened
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.306 µg
per serving
adds 0.9 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
PubMed 34099845 · grade C ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set, so there is no grams figure; the rating rests on what a serving adds to average intake. A 40 g serving carries 0.306 µg (mean 0.00766 mg/kg as eaten, converted from 0.009 mg/kg dry weight in 5 dried samples), about 0.9% of an average adult's 35 µg/day. The worst sample (0.011 mg/kg dry weight) gives 0.37 µg a serving, about 1.1%.
Intake: one 40 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.008 mg/kg (mean (reported on dry weight; converted to as-eaten), n = 5)
Measured on: Same 5 dried cranberry samples, Pb mean 0.009 mg/kg DRY WEIGHT, standard deviation 0.0028, range 0.0071-0.011 (Table 6); as eaten 0.009 x 0.8513 = 0.00766 mg/kg. Same caveats as the cadmium row.
Light tuna, canned in water
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.3 µg
per serving
adds 0.9 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Adds 0.9% to EFSA's average adult intake (35 µg/day; 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day), 0.3% on the Total Diet Study basis: far from doubling it, so no cap.
Intake: one 55 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 5.5 µg/kg (mean, n = 46)
Measured on: food-specific: CFIA canned skipjack (41) + yellowfin (5), 2004-2020; non-detects ('<0.00') stored as 0, no detection limit (detection limit) given; max 190 µg/kg (one skipjack can). Beside it: Health Canada TDS DD03 equal-weight mean 2.07 µg/kg (17 composites 1999-2018); FDA TDS FY18-20 not detected (RL 4 ppb, n=3)
Potato, boiled
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.3 µg
per serving
adds 0.9 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
adds 0.9% to average intake (35 µg/day, EFSA 2012 mean). Mean without the 1999 composite 2.53 µg/kg; recent 3 composites (2016–2018) 0.40 µg/kg (declining).
Intake: one 110 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 2.71 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS GG16 'Potatoes, peeled and boiled' (16 composites 2000–2018, one non-detect detection limit (detection limit) 0.44) plus one 1999 composite (GG19, 5.63 µg/kg); non-detects stored as 0
Refried beans, canned
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.3 µg
per serving
adds 0.9 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead. A daily 90.35 g serving at 3.36 µg/kg (Health Canada Total Diet Study, canned baked beans as a proxy, 15 yearly composites) carries 0.3 µg, 0.9% of the average adult's 35 µg a day (EFSA 2012); at the recent mean of 1.83 µg/kg the share is 0.5%. No refried-beans measurement exists, and the figure is a lower bound.
Intake: one 90 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.36 µg/kg (mean, n = 15)
Measured on: related product: Health Canada TDS GG01 "Baked beans, canned" (beans in sauce, bean class not stated), 15 single-year composites (2000-2010, 2012, 2016-2018), equal-weight mean 3.358; recent 2012-2018 (n = 4) mean 1.83; falling trend. The 1993-99 pooled composite (9.86 µg/kg) is excluded.
Green tea, brewed
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.299 µg
per serving
per cup
adds 0.85 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Deka 2021 · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01), 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day, 35 µg/day at 70 kg). The cup figure is derived, not measured: the CFIA dry-leaf mean of 1.201 µg/g (100 samples, tea type not stated), 10 g of leaf per litre and a 9.96% transfer into the infusion give 1.196 µg/L, so one 250 mL cup carries 0.299 µg, 0.9% of 35 µg/day and 4.3% of the Canadian figure of about 7 µg/day. At the CFIA maximum leaf (4.296 µg/g) and 12.79% transfer a cup would carry 1.37 µg.
Intake: one 250 mL (250 g) cup a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.196 µg/L (derived mean: CFIA dry-leaf mean (1.201 µg/g, n = 100) x 10 g leaf per litre x orthodox-green-tea transfer rate 9.96%, n = 100)
Measured on: DERIVED, not measured in a cup. Leaf: CFIA targeted survey of dried teas 2009-10, Canada, n = 100 (Pb detected in 100/100; mean 1.201, median 0.987, max 4.296 µg/g DRY LEAF; tea type not stated). Transfer: Deka 2021, orthodox green tea, average 9.96% of leaf Pb into the infusion (CTC green tea 12.79%). Brew ratio: Pavlovic 2023 method, 1 g per 100 mL = 10 g/L (Deka used 13.3 g/L, Pattaravisitsate 20 g/L). 1 µg/L = 0.001 µg/g at 1.00 g/mL.
Pork sausage, pan-fried
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.29 µg
per serving
adds 0.83 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: one 55 g cooked serving adds 0.83% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010: benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day, based on developmental neurotoxicity). The serving carries 0.290 µg.
Intake: one 55 g cooked serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 5.279 ng/g (µg/kg) (mean (equal-weight over composites, both label eras pooled n-weighted), n = 16)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS BB11 "Wieners & sausages (wieners, and fresh sausage)", As consumed, Canada, 16 composites: 13 in 2000-2012 (mean 5.959) and 3 in 2016-2018 (mean 2.332); no non-detects; non-detects stored as 0 (lower bound); detection limit (detection limit) range 0-0
Blueberries, frozen
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.287 µg
per serving
adds 0.8 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
A daily serving adds about 0.8% to the average adult's lead intake (35 µg/day): 0.75% without the 1999 composite (mean 3.27 µg/kg), 0.6% on the three most recent (2.61); FDA Total Diet Study mean 0.71 µg/kg (3 of 27 detected, reporting limit 4): +0.16%. No safe threshold is set for lead; far from doubling it, so no cap.
Intake: one 80 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.593 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS HH05 'Blueberries / Bleuets', composites 2000-2018 (cadmium n = 16, lead n = 17 incl. one 1999 'Multiple' composite); the description does not say fresh or frozen, highbush or lowbush
Blueberries, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.287 µg
per serving
adds 0.8 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
A daily serving adds about 0.8% to the average adult's lead intake (35 µg/day): 0.75% without the 1999 composite (mean 3.27 µg/kg), 0.6% on the three most recent (2.61); FDA Total Diet Study mean 0.71 µg/kg (3 of 27 detected, reporting limit 4): +0.16%. No safe threshold is set for lead; far from doubling it, so no cap.
Intake: one 80 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.593 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS HH05 'Blueberries / Bleuets', composites 2000-2018 (cadmium n = 16, lead n = 17 incl. one 1999 'Multiple' composite); the description does not say fresh or frozen, highbush or lowbush
Wild blueberries, frozen
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.287 µg
per serving
adds 0.8 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
A daily serving adds about 0.8% to the average adult's lead intake (35 µg/day): 0.75% without the 1999 composite (mean 3.27 µg/kg), 0.6% on the three most recent (2.61); FDA Total Diet Study mean 0.71 µg/kg (3 of 27 detected, reporting limit 4): +0.16%. No safe threshold is set for lead; far from doubling it, so no cap.
Intake: one 80 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.593 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS HH05 'Blueberries / Bleuets', composites 2000-2018 (cadmium n = 16, lead n = 17 incl. one 1999 'Multiple' composite); the description does not say fresh or frozen, highbush or lowbush
Green pepper, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.281 µg
per serving
adds 0.31–0.8 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a daily serving adds 0.80% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day, far from doubling it (0.31% without the 1999 composite). No safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010). The Health Canada Total Diet Study mean for green pepper is 3.307 ng/g across 17 composites; the 1999 composite, 35.65 ng/g, is 28 times the median, and without it the mean is 1.286 ng/g. FDA found no lead detected in 27 samples (reporting limit 4 ppb).
Intake: one 85 g serving a day (Health Canada TRA V.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.307 ng/g (mean (equal-weight of composites; 1999-2012 and 2016-2018 sets pooled by n); median 1.27, n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study, food GG15 'Peppers (Raw, green pepper)', as consumed: 13 composites 2000-2012 (mean 1.482; one non-detect, 2000 Ottawa < 1.2) and 4 composites 1999 and 2016-2018 (9.239), pooled. The 1999-12-31 'Multiple' composite is 35.65 ng/g, 28 times the median; WITHOUT it the mean is 1.286 ng/g (n 16).
Red pepper, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.281 µg
per serving
adds 0.31–0.8 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a daily serving adds 0.80% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day, far from doubling it (0.31% without the 1999 composite). No safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010). The Health Canada Total Diet Study mean for green pepper is 3.307 ng/g across 17 composites; the 1999 composite, 35.65 ng/g, is 28 times the median, and without it the mean is 1.286 ng/g. FDA found no lead detected in 27 samples (reporting limit 4 ppb).
Intake: one 85 g serving a day (Health Canada TRA V.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.307 ng/g (mean (equal-weight of composites; 1999-2012 and 2016-2018 sets pooled by n); median 1.27, n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study, food GG15 'Peppers (Raw, green pepper)', as consumed: 13 composites 2000-2012 (mean 1.482; one non-detect, 2000 Ottawa < 1.2) and 4 composites 1999 and 2016-2018 (9.239), pooled. The 1999-12-31 'Multiple' composite is 35.65 ng/g, 28 times the median; WITHOUT it the mean is 1.286 ng/g (n 16).
Cauliflower, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.28 µg
per serving
adds 0.8 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Adds 0.8% to the average adult intake of 35 µg/day, so no cap. The mean of 16 composites from 2000-2018 is also 3.31 µg/kg; the three most recent (2016-2018), at 1.57 µg/kg, give 0.4%. FDA Total Diet Study item 116: none of 27 samples detected, reporting limit 4 µg/kg; at that upper bound a serving carries 0.34 µg, 1.0%.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.31 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS GG07, 17 composites (16 yearly 2000-2018 plus one pooled 'TDS1993:1999' composite from multiple cities), equal weight; none stored as 0
1 other measurement of this food
1. US FDA TDS 2018-20, none detected in 27 samples
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.34 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.97 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  Companion row: upper bound at the reporting limit adds 1.0%
  Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult
  Measured on: food-specific: FDA TDS #116 boiled; all 27 non-detect, reporting limit 4 µg/kg (lower bound 0, upper bound 4)
Cauliflower, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.28 µg
per serving
adds 0.8 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Adds 0.8% to the average adult intake of 35 µg/day, so no cap. The mean of 16 composites from 2000-2018 is also 3.31 µg/kg; the three most recent (2016-2018), at 1.57 µg/kg, give 0.4%. FDA Total Diet Study item 116: none of 27 samples detected, reporting limit 4 µg/kg; at that upper bound a serving carries 0.34 µg, 1.0%.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.31 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS GG07, 17 composites (16 yearly 2000-2018 plus one pooled 'TDS1993:1999' composite from multiple cities), equal weight; none stored as 0
1 other measurement of this food
1. US FDA TDS 2018-20, none detected in 27 samples
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.34 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.97 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  Companion row: upper bound at the reporting limit adds 1.0%
  Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult
  Measured on: food-specific: FDA TDS #116 boiled; all 27 non-detect, reporting limit 4 µg/kg (lower bound 0, upper bound 4)
Green cabbage, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.28 µg
per serving
adds 0.8 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
lower bound 3.24, upper bound 3.31 µg/kg; adds 0.8% to EFSA's average adult intake (35 µg/day at 70 kg); far below the doubling line. No safe threshold (EFSA 2010), so no share-of-limit figure.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.24 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: Health Canada TDS GG05 'Cabbage (cooked and raw cabbage)', green cabbage, 17 composites 1999-2018; lower-bound mean (non-detects stored as 0), upper bound 3.31
Ice cream, vanilla
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.275 µg
per serving
adds 0.79 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a 105 g serving adds 0.2753 µg, 0.79% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. The mean is a lower bound (1 of 17 composites was a non-detect).
Intake: one 188 mL (3/4 cup; 104.9 g) serving, 70 kg adult (Health Canada TRA E.1) · Level in the food: 2.624 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight, 17 composites, two era rows combined), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS trace elements, TDS food AA07 Ice cream (vanilla and chocolate), as consumed; Canada. 2000-2012: n = 13, 1 non-detects, mean 2.355 ng/g; 1999 and 2016-2018: n = 4, 0 non-detects, mean 3.5 ng/g; combined equal-weight per composite.
Farmed salmon, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.259 µg
per serving
at the upper-bound mean, 2.07 µg/kg
adds 0.64–0.74 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
A daily serving adds under 1% to EFSA's adult average of 35 µg/day, far from doubling it, so no cap.
Intake: one 125 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.8 µg/kg (mean, n = 106)
Measured on: food-specific: Atlantic salmon muscle/meat, fresh or frozen, CFIA 2003-2021 (n = 106)
Processed cheese slices
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.256 µg
per serving
adds 0.73 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a 30 g serving adds 0.2558 µg, 0.73% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. Health Canada Total Diet Study, processed cheese.
Intake: one 30 g serving, 70 kg adult (Health Canada TRA D.1) · Level in the food: 8.526 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight, 17 composites, two era rows combined), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS trace elements, TDS food AA11 Cheese, processed, as consumed; Canada. 2000-2012: n = 13, 0 non-detects, mean 9.354 ng/g; 1999 and 2016-2018: n = 4, 0 non-detects, mean 5.835 ng/g; combined equal-weight per composite.
Soy sauce
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.249 µg
per serving
per tablespoon (16 g)
adds 0.71 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 finding is that no level is without risk. A tablespoon at the Health Canada Total Diet Study mean of 15.548 ng/g (16 yearly composites) carries 0.249 µg, 0.71% of the average adult's 35 µg a day (EFSA, 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day) and 3.6% of the Canadian figure of about 7 µg a day, far from doubling. Years differ widely (1.15 to 58.15 ng/g); at the highest year a tablespoon is 0.93 µg, 2.7% of 35.
Intake: one tablespoon (15 mL, 16 g) a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 15.548 ng/g (mean (equal-weight, 16 annual composites; lower-bound mean 15.451), n = 16)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS trace elements, TDS food PP07 'Soya sauce', 16 single-year composites 2000-2018 (2000-2012, 2016, 2017, 2018), as consumed; ng/g; mean of the equal-weight annual composites, recomputed from the per-year values; non-detects at half the detection limit (detection limit) (1 of 16: 2000, detection limit 3.1 ng/g); no pooled 1993-99 composite exists for this code.
Oranges, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.24 µg
per serving
adds 0.7 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No safe threshold is set for lead. A serving adds about 0.7% to the average adult lead intake (35 µg/day), far from doubling it, so no cap. Without the 1999 composite the mean is 1.60 (n = 16); the three most recent 0.76 (+0.3%). FDA Total Diet Study: 0 of 27 detected, reporting limit 4 µg/kg (at the limit, 0.56 µg, +1.6%).
Intake: one 140 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.71 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight), n = 17)
Measured on: category: HC TDS HH07 'Citrus fruit, raw (Oranges and grapefruit)', 17 composites (one 'Multiple' 1999 + 16 from 2000-2018)
Grapefruit, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.239 µg
per serving
adds 0.7 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01). Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake: a 140 g serving carries 0.239 µg, about 0.7% on top of 35 µg a day, far from doubling it. The Health Canada composite covers grapefruit and oranges together; grapefruit alone is not separated.
Intake: one 140 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.708 µg/kg (mean (pooled by sample count), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS HH07 Citrus fruit, raw (Oranges and grapefruit), as consumed: 13 composites 2000-2012 mean 1.8 ng/g (1 non-detects) plus 4 composites 1999/2016-2018 under the bilingual label mean 1.409 ng/g (0 non-detects); pooled by sample count. The composite names grapefruit and oranges together; grapefruit alone is not separated.
Mandarins, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.239 µg
per serving
adds 0.7 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01). Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake: a serving carries 0.239 µg, about 0.7% on top of 35 µg a day, far from doubling it. The Health Canada composite covers oranges and grapefruit.
Intake: one 140 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.708 µg/kg (mean (pooled by sample count), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS HH07 Citrus fruit, raw (Oranges and grapefruit), as consumed: 13 composites 2000-2012 mean 1.8 ng/g (1 non-detects) plus 4 composites 1999/2016-2018 under the bilingual label mean 1.409 ng/g (0 non-detects); pooled by sample count. PROXY: no TDS food code names mandarins; HH07 is the citrus composite 'Oranges and grapefruit', used as the nearest as-consumed citrus fruit.
Onions, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.23 µg
per serving
adds 0.7 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No safe threshold is set for lead. A serving (0.085 kg x 2.743 µg/kg = 0.23 µg) adds about 0.7% to the average adult lead intake (35 µg/day), far from doubling it, so no cap. Without the 1999 composite the mean is 2.79 (n = 16); the three most recent (2016-2018) 0.83 (+0.2%). FDA Total Diet Study: 1 of 27 detected, mean 0.27, max 7.4, reporting limit 4 µg/kg (at the limit, 0.34 µg, +1.0%).
Intake: one 85 g serving a day (Health Canada V.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 2.74 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight), n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS GG13 'Onions (Raw)', 17 composites (one 'Multiple' 1999 + 16 from 2000-2018), 'As consumed'
Soy drink, unsweetened, fortified
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.227 µg
per serving
adds 0.55–0.81 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake (EFSA 2012: 0.40-0.59 µg/kg body weight/day, 28-41 µg a day at 70 kg), a 250 g serving at the Total Diet Study mean of 0.9093 ng/g (10 yearly composites) carries 0.23 µg, about 0.6-0.8%, far under the doubling line.
Intake: one 250 mL serving (250 g) a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.909 ng/g (mean (equal-weight of single-year composites), n = 10)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements, TDS code KK07 'Soy beverage, fortified', as consumed, composites from 2006-2012 and 2016-2018 (10 single-year composites; no 1993-99 pooled composite is in this row); equal-weight mean of the composites; non-detects stored as 0 (0 non-detects for this analyte)
Grapes, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.217 µg
per serving
adds 0.6 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01). Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake: a 140 g serving carries 0.217 µg, about 0.6% on top of 35 µg a day, far from doubling it.
Intake: one 140 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.551 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS HH11 composites, lead n 17 (13 composites 2000-2012 mean 1.649; 4 composites 1999-2018 mean 1.234; none non-detect). FDA TDS food 88: lead not detected in 27 samples (reporting limit 4 µg/kg).
Popcorn, air-popped
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.213 µg
per serving
adds 0.61 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. A 50 g serving at the Health Canada Total Diet Study mean of 4.259 ng/g (15 yearly composites of microwave popcorn, as eaten) carries 213 ng, 0.0030 µg/kg body weight/day, 0.61% of that reference point.
Intake: 50 g popped popcorn serving (HC TRA S.1) · Level in the food: 4.259 ng/g (mean of 15 annual TDS composites (2000-2011, 2016-2018 (15 annual composites)), nondetects as zero; 1 of 15 below the detection limit (max 29 ng/g in one year), n = 15)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study, TDS food MM01 "Popcorn, microwave", as consumed (popped, with the microwave-bag fat and salt), single-year composites; Canada. The 1993-99 pooled composite (4.78 ng/g, one record) is not averaged in
Cantaloupe, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.203 µg
per serving
adds 0.58 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day. Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012): 0.203 µg a serving, 0.58%. The Health Canada mean is 1.352 ng/g across 17 melon composites (cantaloupe and watermelon).
Intake: one serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.352 ng/g (mean (equal-weight of composites; 2000-2012 and 1999-2018 sets pooled by n), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS, HH12 Melons (cantaloupe and watermelon): 13 composites 2000-2012 (1.439 ng/g) and 4 composites (1.071 ng/g, 1999-2018 set), as consumed, no non-detects.
Watermelon, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.203 µg
per serving
adds 0.58 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day, developmental neurotoxicity), so no grams figure is given. Health Canada's total diet study gives a mean of 1.352 ng/g for a cantaloupe-and-watermelon composite (17 composites, none non-detect); a serving carries 0.203 µg, 0.58% of EFSA 2012's adult mean of 35 µg/day. The FDA found lead in none of 27 watermelon samples (reporting limit 4 ppb).
Intake: one serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.352 ng/g (mean (equal-weight of composites; 2000-2012 and 1999-2018 sets pooled by n), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study trace elements, TDS food HH12 'Melons (cantaloupe and watermelon)' (composite of two melons), 13 composites 2000-2012 (mean 1.439 ng/g) and 4 composites (mean 1.071 ng/g, 1999-2018 set), as consumed, no non-detects.
Pork chop, pan-fried
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.199 µg
per serving
adds 0.57 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day, developmental neurotoxicity), so no grams figure is given. Health Canada's total diet study gives a mean of 1.9886 ng/g in cooked pork chop (17 composites), 0.1989 µg in a 100 g serving. The FDA found lead below its 4 µg/kg reporting limit in 27 of 27 pan-cooked chops.
Intake: 100 g cooked serving (HC TRA L.6) · Level in the food: 1.989 ng/g (µg/kg) (mean (equal-weight over composites, both label eras pooled n-weighted), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS, BB04 Pork, fresh (spareribs, chops and shoulder roast), as consumed. 13 composites 2000-2012 (mean 1.935, 1 non-detect, detection limit (detection limit) up to 1.2) and 4 composites 1999 and 2016-2018 (mean 2.163, 0 non-detects)
Cheddar
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.197 µg
per serving
adds 0.56 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
One 30 g serving a day adds 0.56% to the average adult intake (35 µg/day), so no cap.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 6.549 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS AA09 'Cheese (cheddar and mozzarella)', 16 composites 2000-2018
Feta
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.197 µg
per serving
adds 0.56 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
One 30 g serving a day adds 0.56% to the average adult intake (35 µg/day), so no cap.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 6.549 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
Measured on: related food: HC TDS AA09 'Cheese (cheddar and mozzarella)' applied to feta (not a named TDS item; may err low for a drier cheese)
Mozzarella, part-skim
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.197 µg
per serving
adds 0.56 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
One 30 g serving a day adds 0.56% to the average adult intake (35 µg/day), so no cap.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 6.549 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS AA09 'Cheese (cheddar and mozzarella)', 16 composites 2000-2018
Swiss cheese
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.197 µg
per serving
adds 0.56 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
One 30 g serving a day adds 0.56% to the average adult intake (35 µg/day), so no cap.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 6.549 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
Measured on: related food: HC TDS AA09 'Cheese (cheddar and mozzarella)' applied to Swiss (not a named TDS item; may err low for a drier cheese)
Romaine lettuce, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.186 µg
per serving
adds 0.53 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a daily serving adds 0.53% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day, far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010). The Health Canada Total Diet Study mean for iceberg and romaine together is 2.185 ng/g. FDA found iceberg not detected in 27 (reporting limit 4 ppb) and leaf lettuce detected in 7 of 27, mean 1.9 ppb. CFIA's 2022-23 positives ran higher: domestic leaf 0.013 µg/g (5 of 7), imported head 0.022 (4 of 13).
Intake: one 85 g serving a day (Health Canada TRA V.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 2.185 ng/g (mean (equal-weight of composites; 1999-2012 and 2016-2018 sets pooled by n), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study, food GG11 'Lettuce (Iceburg and romaine)', as consumed: 13 composites 2000-2012 (mean 2.429; one non-detect, 2000 Ottawa < 1.2) and 4 composites 1999 and 2016-2018 (1.391), pooled; the 1999 composite (2.07) is not an outlier. No pepper-style outlier.
Raspberries, frozen
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.182 µg
per serving
adds 0.5 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2016–2023) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01)), so no grams figure is given. This is the same CFIA figure as for fresh raspberries, since the commodity does not say fresh or frozen: mean 2.27 µg/kg in 83 samples (69% non-detects), 0.182 µg in a serving. A daily serving adds about 0.5% to the average adult's lead intake (35 µg/day), far from doubling it.
Intake: one 80 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 2.27 µg/kg (mean, n = 83)
Measured on: CFIA NCRMP 2016-17 to 2022-23, commodity 'Raspberry', domestic B1 (n 13) and import B2 (n 70) pooled by sample count (n 83; two small 2018-2019 samples carry no lead result); non-detects as 0. Health Canada's TDS has no raspberry code and FDA's TDS has no raspberry food. Lead: B1 3 positives, 1.17 µg/kg; B2 23 positives, 2.47 µg/kg.
Raspberries, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.182 µg
per serving
adds 0.5 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2016–2023) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01)), so no grams figure is given. The CFIA mean is 2.27 µg/kg in 83 domestic and import samples (69% non-detects), 0.182 µg in a serving. A daily serving adds about 0.5% to the average adult's lead intake (35 µg/day), far from doubling it.
Intake: one 80 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 2.27 µg/kg (mean, n = 83)
Measured on: CFIA NCRMP 2016-17 to 2022-23, commodity 'Raspberry', domestic B1 (n 13) and import B2 (n 70) pooled by sample count (n 83; two small 2018-2019 samples carry no lead result); non-detects as 0. Health Canada's TDS has no raspberry code and FDA's TDS has no raspberry food. Lead: B1 3 positives, 1.17 µg/kg; B2 23 positives, 2.47 µg/kg.
French fries, restaurant
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.18 µg
per serving
adds 0.5 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a 70 g serving adds 0.51% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (0.179 µg; EFSA 2012), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead.
Intake: one 70 g serving a day (Health Canada TRA P.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 2.56 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study trace elements, TDS food NN02 'Fast Food, French Fries', 17 composites (a 1999 multi-city composite plus 2000-2018 except 2013-2015), 2 below detection limit (detection limit) (3.1 in 2000, 6.1 in 2003) stored as 0, As consumed
1 other measurement of this food
1. US FDA TDS 2018-20, fast-food fries
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.04 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: a 70 g serving adds 0.11% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (0.039 µg). 26 of 27 samples fell below the 4 ppb reporting limit, so the level is a floor.
  Intake: one 70 g serving a day (Health Canada TRA P.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.56 µg/kg (mean, n = 27)
  Measured on: US FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-FY2020, TDS food 258 'Potatoes, French fries, fast-food', 27 samples, 1 detect (15 ppb), 26 non-detects, RL 4 ppb
Pumpkin seeds
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.18 µg
per serving
non-detects as zero; as the detection limit 0.24; highest sample 1.21
adds 0.5–0.7 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Kollander 2023 · grade A ?
How it’s rated
A daily serving at the mean adds 0.5-0.7% to the average adult lead intake of 35 µg/day; at the highest sample (40.35 µg/kg, 1.21 µg) it adds 3.5%. Far from doubling it, so no cap. Rated on Swedish agency sampling of 11 individual samples; a smaller Polish study, whose units and values could not be reconciled, is not used.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 6.1 µg/kg (mean, n = 11)
Measured on: food-specific: pumpkin seeds, Swedish retail 2018 (mostly shelled; 7 of 11 of stated origin China), Swedish Food Agency ICP-MS; individual results from Table S12 of the same paper as the cadmium row. Mean computed from the 11 individual results: non-detects as 0 = 6.1 (lower bound), as detection limit (detection limit) = 8.1 (upper bound) µg/kg; median 2.1 (lower bound) / 5 (upper bound); max 40.35 (the one unshelled, roasted, salted sample); second highest 12.9
Mackerel, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.179 µg
per serving
raw concentration x1.282 for cooking loss
adds 0.51–0.62 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Adds 0.51-0.62% (lower bound-upper bound) to the average adult intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA, 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day at 70 kg). No safe threshold exists (benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) is the level of concern); far below the doubling line.
Intake: one 100 g cooked serving a day, 70 kg adult; concentration = raw x1.282 (Foodtopsy's arithmetic) · Level in the food: 1.4 µg/kg (mean, n = 7)
Measured on: food-specific: CFIA MACKEREL, ATLANTIC edible portion, 7 samples (5 non-detects, '<0.00')
Mackerel, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.175 µg
per serving
adds 0.5–0.61 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Adds 0.50-0.61% (lower bound-upper bound) to the average adult intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA, 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day at 70 kg). No safe threshold exists (benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) is the level of concern); far below the doubling line.
Intake: one 125 g raw serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.4 µg/kg (mean, n = 7)
Measured on: food-specific: CFIA MACKEREL, ATLANTIC edible portion, 7 samples (5 non-detects, '<0.00')
Pears, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.164 µg
per serving
adds 0.5 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01), 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day). Health Canada's Total Diet Study mean is 1.1741 ng/g (16 composites, non-detects stored as zero), so one 140 g serving carries 0.16 µg, 0.5% of the average adult's 35 µg/day, far from doubling it. CFIA fresh pear is higher, a lower-bound mean of 4.48 ng/g (353 samples, maximum 223).
Intake: one 140 g serving a day (HC TRA J.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.174 ng/g (mean of single-year composites, n-weighted over two sets (1.197 n 13; 1.075 n 3), n = 16)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study, food code HH14 Pears (set 1 "Fresh, raw pears" 2000-2012, set 2 "Fresh, raw" 2016-2018), As consumed, Canada; the two single-year sets are combined here by composite count (n-weighted); non-detects stored as 0; the 1993-99 pooled composite is a separate row and is not averaged in
Ranch dressing
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.16 µg
per serving
adds 0.46 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a daily serving adds 0.46% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010). The Health Canada Total Diet Study mean for salad dressing is 5.277 ng/g across 8 composites. FDA found low-calorie ranch at 13 ppb (3 of 3 detected; a serving would carry 0.40 µg, 1.1% of the average) and regular ranch not detected (reporting limit 4 ppb).
Intake: one 30.4 g (30 mL) serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 5.277 ng/g (mean (equal-weight of composites; two sets pooled by n), n = 8)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study, food II07 'Salad Dressing', as consumed: 5 composites 2008-2012 (mean 5.888 ng/g) and 3 composites 2016-2018 (4.259), no non-detects, pooled by n.
Chicken thigh, roasted
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.153 µg
per serving
adds 0.44 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: one 100 g cooked serving adds 0.44% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010: benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day, based on developmental neurotoxicity). The serving carries 0.153 µg.
Intake: one 100 g cooked serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.534 ng/g (µg/kg) (mean (equal-weight over composites, both label eras pooled n-weighted), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS CC02 "Poultry, chicken & turkey (roast chicken and turkey)", As consumed, Canada, 17 composites: 13 in 2000-2012 (mean 1.592) and 4 in 1999 and 2016-2018 (mean 1.346); no non-detects; non-detects stored as 0 (lower bound); detection limit (detection limit) range 0-0
Chicken breast, roasted
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.153 µg
per serving
adds 0.44 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
Adds 0.44% to EFSA's average adult intake of 35 µg/day (no tolerable intake exists for lead), far from doubling it, so no cap.
Intake: one 100 g cooked serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.534 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: category: HC TDS CC02 roast chicken and turkey, as consumed, 17 composites 1999-2018
Kale, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.15 µg
per serving
adds 0.43 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
lower bound 1.8, upper bound 4.5 µg/kg; a serving adds 0.43% to average intake (1.1% at the upper bound)
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.8 µg/kg (mean)
Measured on: food-specific: kale (FDA TDS)
Cottage cheese
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.135 µg
per serving
adds 0.39 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
One 125 g serving a day adds 0.39% to the average adult intake (35 µg/day), so no cap.
Intake: one 125 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.083 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS AA10 'Cheese, cottage (cottage Cheese 2%)', 16 composites 2000-2018 (2% cottage; the listing is creamed)
Kefir, low-fat
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.135 µg
per serving
adds 0.38 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
A serving adds about 0.38% to the average adult lead intake (35 µg/day), far from doubling it, so no cap. Without the 1999 composite the mean is 0.6248 (n = 16). Milk 1% mean 0.1693, milk 2% 0.2427. FDA Total Diet Study 'Milk, reduced fat, fluid': 1 of 27 detected (mean 0.063 ppb, max 1.7). Grade B: a related food.
Intake: one 188 mL (193.1 g) serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.697 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: category, NOT kefir-specific: HC TDS AA08 'Yogurt (fruit and plain)', 17 composites (16 from 2000-2018 plus one 1999 'Multiple'), 2 non-detects stored as 0 (detection limit (detection limit) 0.39 and 1.8); no kefir composite
1 other measurement of this food
1. Health Canada TDS, 1% milk, kefir's base
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.033 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.09 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
  How it’s rated
  Context row for the base milk. AA02 (milk, 2%) mean 0.2427, 7 non-detects.
  Intake: one 188 mL (193.1 g) serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.169 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
  Measured on: context: HC TDS AA03 'Milk, 1%', 17 composites, 7 non-detects stored as 0
Cola
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.134 µg
per serving
adds 0.38 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a serving adds 0.134 µg of lead, 0.38% of the average adult intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA) and 1.9% of Canada's about 7 µg/day, far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead.
Intake: one 375 mL reference amount (391.0 g at 1.0427 g/mL) a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.343 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight, 16 composites), n = 16)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study trace elements, TDS code KK05 'Soft drinks, canned (Cola and lemon-lime (reg and diet))': ONE category composite covering regular AND diet cola and lemon-lime, so it is not cola-regular-specific (grade B). Composites 2000-2012 (n=13) and 2016-2018 (n=3), as consumed, equal-weight mean of all composites; non-detects stored as 0
Honey
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.131 µg
per serving
adds 0.38 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake: a daily serving carries 0.131 µg, 0.37% of 35 µg a day, far from doubling it.
Intake: one 20 g serving a day (HC TRA U.8), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 6.555 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight, 17 composites, two era rows combined: 13 composites 2000-2012 at 6.588 and 4 composites 1999 and 2016-2018 at 6.449), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study, TDS food JJ04 'Honey, bottled', as consumed, Canada, 1999-2018; no non-detects, so lower bound = upper bound
Diet cola
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.129 µg
per serving
adds 0.37 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a serving adds 0.129 µg of lead, 0.37% of the average adult intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA) and 1.8% of Canada's about 7 µg/day, far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead.
Intake: one 375 mL reference amount (375.4 g at 1.00101 g/mL) a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.343 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight, 16 composites), n = 16)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study trace elements, TDS code KK05 'Soft drinks, canned (Cola and lemon-lime (reg and diet))': ONE category composite covering regular AND diet cola and lemon-lime, so it is not cola-regular-specific (grade B). Composites 2000-2012 (n=13) and 2016-2018 (n=3), as consumed, equal-weight mean of all composites; non-detects stored as 0
Kiwi, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.126 µg
per serving
adds 0.4 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01). Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake: a serving carries 0.1263 µg, about 0.4% on top of 35 µg a day, far from doubling it.
Intake: one 140 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.902 ng/g (mean, n = 13)
Measured on: Health Canada Canadian Total Diet Study, trace elements, TDS food HH20 'Kiwi fruit (Fresh, raw kiwi)', composites 2000-2012 (13 yearly composites, 2 non-detects), as consumed.
Eggs, hard-boiled
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.122 µg
per serving
adds 0.35 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Daily serving adds 0.35% to the average adult intake (margin of exposure (MOE) basis); not a cap
Intake: one 100 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.218 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: Health Canada TDS CC01 "Eggs, fresh", 17 composites 1999-2018 (the 1999 composite is TDS1993:1999, city "Multiple"), As consumed
Eggs, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.122 µg
per serving
adds 0.35 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Daily serving adds 0.35% to the average adult intake (margin of exposure (MOE) basis); not a cap
Intake: one 100 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.218 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: Health Canada TDS CC01 "Eggs, fresh", 17 composites 1999-2018 (the 1999 composite is TDS1993:1999, city "Multiple"), As consumed
Almonds, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.12 µg
per serving
at the reporting limit
adds 0–0.34 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Under +0.34% even at the reporting limit (0.12 µg against 35 µg/day)
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4 µg/kg (reporting limit, n = 3)
Measured on: food-specific: FDA TDS #526 'Almonds, shelled'; all 3 non-detect (< 4 µg/kg)
Sockeye salmon, canned
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.11 µg
per serving
adds 0.3 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day), so no grams figure is given. Health Canada's total diet study gives a mean of 2.036 ng/g across 13 composites (2000-2012), but the category is canned tuna and salmon together, so this is not a salmon measurement. A serving carries 0.11 µg, 0.3% of EFSA 2012's adult mean of 35 µg/day.
Intake: 55 g canned (HC TRA I.4), one serving a day · Level in the food: 2.036 ng/g (mean of composites, n = 13)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study, DD03 'Fish, canned (tuna and Salmon)', as consumed, 13 composites 2000-2012. Composite food code DD03 is canned TUNA AND SALMON together (the share of each is not stated), so this is a category figure, not a salmon measurement. Bilingual name: 2.192 ng/g, n=4.
Crackers
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.102 µg
per serving
adds 0.3 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: one 30 g serving adds 0.29% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (0.10 µg), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead.
Intake: one 30 g reference serving a day (Health Canada TRA A.12), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.392 ng/g (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: Health Canada Total Diet Study FF10 'Crackers (soda crackers)', 17 composites, 1999-2012 and 2016-2018, Canada, as consumed
Parmesan
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.098 µg
per serving
adds 0.28 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
One 15.0 g serving a day adds 0.28% to the average adult intake (35 µg/day), so no cap.
Intake: one 15.0 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 6.549 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
Measured on: related food: HC TDS AA09 'Cheese (cheddar and mozzarella)' applied to parmesan (not a named TDS item; may err low for a drier cheese)
Banana, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.096 µg
per serving
adds 0.28 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Adds 0.28% to the average adult lead intake (0.50 µg/kg body weight/day = 35 µg/day, EFSA 2012), far from doubling it, so no cap. Without the 1999 composite the mean is 0.623 µg/kg (n = 16); the three most recent composites 0.513; FDA Total Diet Study item 80: 0 of 27 detected, reporting limit 4 µg/kg.
Intake: one 140 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.688 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS HH04 'Bananas', 16 composites 2000-2018 plus one 1999 'Multiple' composite; four non-detects (detection limit (detection limit) 0.18-1.4) stored as 0
Eggplant, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.092 µg
per serving
raw basis
adds 0.26 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2016–2023) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. One 85 g serving adds 0.092 µg, 0.26% of the average adult's 35 µg/day. The figure is the CFIA lower-bound mean for raw eggplant (1.085 µg/kg, 124 samples, 84.7% non-detects), so it can understate where non-detects hide values, and no cooked-basis source exists; the FDA boiled samples (all non-detect at 4 µg/kg) are shown beside it.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day (HC TRA V.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.085 µg/kg (lower-bound mean over all n, pooled by n (6 annex sets), n = 124)
Measured on: CFIA National Chemical Residue Monitoring Program metals, RAW fresh eggplant (commodity "Eggplant"), Annex B1 domestic and B2 import pooled by n over 6 annex sets: 2016-17 to 2018-19 [ppm], 2019-20 to 2021-22 [ppm], 2022-23 [µg/g]; Canada. Statistic: lower-bound mean over all n (non-detects as 0), recomputed from each set's n x lower bound mean. RAW BASIS: not a boiled-eggplant figure; no cooked-basis metals source exists (no TDS code, not in FDA TDS FY2018-20).
1 other measurement of this food
1. US FDA TDS 2018-20, boiled and peeled
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.34 µg
  per serving
  upper bound, at the reporting limit
  adds 0.97 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: no safe level of lead is set (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01), 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day). None of the 6 FDA samples of boiled, peeled eggplant had detectable lead (reporting limit 4 µg/kg), so a serving adds at most 0.34 µg, up to 0.97% of the average adult's 35 µg/day, and nothing if the true value is below the limit. It is shown beside the CFIA raw figure, which finds lead in 15% of 124 samples.
  Intake: one 85 g serving a day (HC TRA V.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4 µg/kg (reporting limit (all 6 samples non-detect), n = 6)
  Measured on: US FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-FY2020, TDS food 265 "Eggplant, fresh, peeled, boiled", n 6 samples, United States. COOKED basis (boiled, peeled). The summary prints mean N/A when every sample is a non-detect and does not state how non-detects enter a partial mean.
Ground turkey, 93% lean, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.092 µg
per serving
adds 0.26 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day), so no grams figure is given. The headline is Health Canada's mixed chicken-and-turkey composite (mean 1.5341 ng/g, 17 composites, none non-detect), because the FDA found no lead in 27 of 27 ground turkey composites (reporting limit 4 ppb) and so has no mean. A serving carries 0.092 µg.
Intake: 60 g cooked serving (HC TRA L.7) · Level in the food: 1.534 ng/g (µg/kg) (mean (equal-weight over composites, both label eras pooled n-weighted), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS, CC02 Poultry, chicken and turkey (roast chicken and turkey), as consumed. 13 composites 2000-2012 (mean 1.592, 0 non-detects) and 4 composites 1999 and 2016-2018 (mean 1.346)
Tortilla chips
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.091 µg
per serving
adds 0.26 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a 50 g serving adds 0.26% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (0.091 µg; EFSA 2012), far from doubling it. The 2016 Quebec City composite alone (8.323 ng/g) would give 0.416 µg, 1.19%. No safe threshold is set for lead.
Intake: one 50 g reference serving a day (Health Canada TRA S.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.815 ng/g (mean, n = 9)
Measured on: food-specific: Health Canada Total Diet Study 'Snack Food, Corn Chips' (GG27), 9 composites, 2007-2018, Canada
1 other measurement of this food
1. US FDA TDS 2018-20, tortilla chips, none detected
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.2 µg
  per serving
  upper bound, at the reporting limit
  adds 0–0.57 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap on either bound: every sample was below detection, so the lower bound is 0; at the 4 ppb reporting limit a 50 g serving carries 0.2 µg, 0.57% of the average adult's 35 µg/day.
  Intake: one 50 g reference serving a day (Health Canada TRA S.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4 ppb (reporting limit (no detects), n = 3)
  Measured on: food-specific: FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-2020, TDS food #67 'Chips, tortilla', 3 composites, all non-detect at reporting limit 4 ppb
Turnip greens, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.09 µg
per serving
adds 0.26 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
Lower bound 1.1, upper bound about 4.2 µg/kg (the upper bound worked out by Foodtopsy: 1.1 + 21/27 x the 4 µg/kg reporting limit); adds 0.3-1.0% to EFSA's average adult intake (35 µg/day at 70 kg), so no cap. 78% of samples were below detection, so both bounds are shown.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.1 µg/kg (mean, n = 27)
Measured on: related food: FDA TDS #108 'Collards, fresh/frozen, boiled' (no turnip greens in either Total Diet Study)
Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.08 µg
per serving
adds 0.23–0.27 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
Lower bound 0.697, upper bound 0.826 µg/kg (2 of 17 composites non-detect, detection limits 0.39 and 1.8, counted as 0 in the lower bound). A daily serving adds 0.23-0.27% to EFSA's average adult intake (35 µg/day), so no cap. 2016-18 mean 0.494 (n 3). FDA Total Diet Study lowfat vanilla and lowfat fruit-flavored yogurt: 0 of 3 detects each, reporting limit 4 µg/kg (an upper bound at that limit would be 0.46 µg per serving, 1.3%).
Intake: one 115 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.697 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS AA08 'Yogurt (fruit and plain)' (mixed fruit and plain yogurt; not plain-only)
Plain yogurt, whole milk
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.08 µg
per serving
adds 0.23–0.27 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Lower bound 0.697, upper bound 0.826 µg/kg (2 of 17 composites non-detect, detection limits 0.39 and 1.8, counted as 0 in the lower bound). A daily serving adds 0.23-0.27% to EFSA's average adult intake (35 µg/day), so no cap. 2016-18 mean 0.494 (n 3). FDA Total Diet Study lowfat vanilla and lowfat fruit-flavored yogurt: 0 of 3 detects each, reporting limit 4 µg/kg (an upper bound at that limit would be 0.46 µg per serving, 1.3%).
Intake: one 115 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.697 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: HC TDS AA08 'Yogurt (fruit and plain)' (mixed fruit and plain yogurt; not plain-only)
Tomatoes, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.079 µg
per serving
adds 0.2 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No safe threshold is set for lead. A serving adds about 0.2% to the average adult lead intake (35 µg/day), far from doubling it, so no cap. Without the 1999 composite the mean is 0.83 µg/kg (n 16); the three most recent 0.31. FDA 'Tomato, raw': 0 of 27 detected, reporting limit 4 ppb (at the limit, 0.34 µg, +1.0%).
Intake: one 85 g serving a day (Health Canada V.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.94 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight), n = 17)
Measured on: category: HC TDS GG20 "Tomatoes (Cooked and raw tomatoes)", 16 composites 2000-2018 plus the 1999 "Multiple" composite GG23 "Tomatoes" (2.63)
Deli turkey breast
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.077 µg
per serving
adds 0.22 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day), so no grams figure is given. The FDA mean is 1.4 ppb across 3 composites (1 detect at 4.2 ppb, 2 non-detects counted as zero), so it is indicative only. A serving carries 0.077 µg, 0.22% of the 35 µg/day adult mean (EFSA 2012), well short of doubling it.
Intake: one 55 g reference serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.4 µg/kg (mean of 3 composites (FDA), n = 3)
Measured on: US FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-2020, TDS food 543 'Luncheon meat, turkey', n 3 composites, as prepared; non-detects counted as zero (inferred, see notes); 1 detect (4.2 ppb), 2 non-detects, RL 4 ppb
Breakfast cereal
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.07 µg
per serving
adds 0.2 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a daily 30 g serving carries 0.070 µg and adds 0.20% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. Health Canada Total Diet Study, corn-flake-type cereal: mean of 17 composites (1999-2018), range 0 to 9.3 ng/g.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day (Health Canada reference amount C.3), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 2.342 ng/g (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS FF06 "Cereal, corn (Corn flake type cereal)" (Food Name "Cold Cereals, Corn Based"), 17 composites 1999-2018, as consumed
8 other measurements of this food
1. US FDA TDS 2018-20, bran with raisins
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.213 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.6 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: a daily 30 g serving carries 0.213 µg and adds 0.60% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. FDA Total Diet Study, bran with raisins: mean 7.1 ppb in 3 samples, 2 detected (reporting limit 4 ppb).
  Intake: one 30 g serving a day (Health Canada reference amount C.3), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 7.1 ppb (mean, n = 3)
  Measured on: FDA TDS FY2018-2020 #74 "Cereal, bran with raisins", n = 3
2. US FDA TDS 2018-20, honey oat rings
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.192 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.5 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: a daily 30 g serving carries 0.192 µg and adds 0.50% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. FDA Total Diet Study, honey oat ring cereal: mean 6.4 ppb in 3 samples, all detected (reporting limit 4 ppb).
  Intake: one 30 g serving a day (Health Canada reference amount C.3), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 6.4 ppb (mean, n = 3)
  Measured on: FDA TDS FY2018-2020 #513 "Cereal, oat ring, honey", n = 3
3. Health Canada TDS 1999-2018, rice and bran cereals (mixed)
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.184 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.5 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: a daily 30 g serving carries 0.184 µg and adds 0.50% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. Health Canada Total Diet Study, rice and bran cereal (a composite, no single grain): mean of 17 composites (1999-2018), range 0.99 to 22.13 ng/g.
  Intake: one 30 g serving a day (Health Canada reference amount C.3), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 6.132 ng/g (mean, n = 17)
  Measured on: Health Canada TDS FF08 "Cereals, rice & bran (Rice crispies, all-bran, and raisin bran)" (Food Name "Cereal, Rice, Bran"; a composite, no single grain), 17 composites 1999-2018, as consumed
4. US FDA TDS 2018-20, oat rings
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.108 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.3 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: a daily 30 g serving carries 0.108 µg and adds 0.30% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. FDA Total Diet Study, oat ring cereal: mean 3.6 ppb in 3 samples, 2 detected (reporting limit 4 ppb).
  Intake: one 30 g serving a day (Health Canada reference amount C.3), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 3.6 ppb (mean, n = 3)
  Measured on: FDA TDS FY2018-2020 #77 "Cereal, oat ring", n = 3
5. US FDA TDS 2018-20, corn flakes
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.045 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: a daily 30 g serving carries 0.045 µg and adds 0.10% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. FDA Total Diet Study, corn flakes: mean 1.5 ppb in 3 samples, 1 detected (reporting limit 4 ppb).
  Intake: one 30 g serving a day (Health Canada reference amount C.3), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.5 ppb (mean, n = 3)
  Measured on: FDA TDS FY2018-2020 #71 "Cereal, corn flakes", n = 3
6. US FDA TDS 2018-20, crisped rice
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.045 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: a daily 30 g serving carries 0.045 µg and adds 0.10% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. FDA Total Diet Study, crisped rice: mean 1.5 ppb in 3 samples, 1 detected (reporting limit 4 ppb).
  Intake: one 30 g serving a day (Health Canada reference amount C.3), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.5 ppb (mean, n = 3)
  Measured on: FDA TDS FY2018-2020 #75 "Cereal, crisped rice", n = 3
7. US FDA TDS 2018-20, granola (all below detection)
  Not rated yet
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  Not rated: all 3 FDA Total Diet Study samples of granola were below the reporting limit (4 ppb), so no mean can be stated. A 30 g serving could carry at most 0.12 µg, 0.3% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), an upper bound that assumes every sample sat at the limit. No safe threshold is set for lead.
  Intake: one 30 g serving a day (Health Canada reference amount C.3), 70 kg adult
  Measured on: FDA TDS FY2018-2020 #512 "Cereal, granola", n = 3
8. US FDA TDS 2018-20, frosted shredded wheat (none detected)
  Not rated yet
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  Not rated: all 3 FDA Total Diet Study samples of frosted shredded wheat were below the reporting limit (4 ppb), so no mean can be stated. A 30 g serving could carry at most 0.12 µg, 0.3% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), an upper bound that assumes every sample sat at the limit. No safe threshold is set for lead.
  Intake: one 30 g serving a day (Health Canada reference amount C.3), 70 kg adult
  Measured on: FDA TDS FY2018-2020 #514 "Cereal, shredded wheat, frosted", n = 3
Peanut butter, smooth
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.066 µg
per serving
adds 0.19 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead, so no grams figure. A 15.0 g serving carries 0.066 µg of lead (Health Canada total diet study), small beside the average adult's intake.
Intake: one 15.0 g serving a day (Health Canada TRA O.3), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4.42 ng/g (µg/kg) (mean (equal-weight over composites, two label eras pooled n-weighted), n = 16)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS JJ07 'Peanut butter', As consumed, Canada: 13 composites 2000-2012 (mean 4.28, 1 non-detect, detection limit (detection limit) to 3.9) + 3 composites 2016-2018 (mean 5.044, 0 non-detects); non-detects stored as 0
1 other measurement of this food
1. US FDA TDS 2018-20, creamy peanut butter
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.084 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.24 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: no safe limit is set for lead, so no grams figure. A 15.0 g serving carries 0.084 µg of lead (US FDA total diet study, 3 samples, mean 5.6 ppb).
  Intake: one 15.0 g serving a day (Health Canada TRA O.3), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 5.6 ng/g (µg/kg) (mean, n = 3)
  Measured on: US FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-2020, TDS food 47 'Peanut butter, creamy': 3 samples, 3 detects, mean 5.6 ppb, standard deviation 0.45, range 5.2-6.1, reporting limit 4 ppb
Oat drink, unsweetened, fortified
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.065 µg
per serving
adds 0.16–0.23 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Good 2026 · grade C ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01), 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day). Two US brands averaged 0.26 µg/L, so a serving adds 0.065 µg, 0.16–0.23% of the average adult's 28–41 µg/day (EFSA 2012, middle bound). This is a weak figure: only 2 brands, and the paper's own cow-milk minerals run 23 to 64 times too low, so its trace-metal values are probably low too; FDA found at most 5 of 85 plant-milk units with quantifiable lead.
Intake: one 250 mL serving (250 g) a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.26 µg/L (mean ± standard deviation 0.06 across 2 brands (brand means of triplicates), n = 2)
Measured on: Good et al. 2026, US (Houston) retail oat milk, 2 brands, ICP-MS; limit of detection not stated; as sold; µg/L taken as 0.001 µg/g
Milk, 2%
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.065 µg
per serving
adds 0.13 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead, so no grams figure. A serving of 2% milk carries 0.0649 µg, which adds about 0.13% to the average adult's intake (an estimate, lower bound); far from doubling it.
Intake: one 250 mL serving a day (263.1 g, inherited), 70 kg adult (Health Canada TRA D.11) · Level in the food: 0.247 ng/g (µg/kg) (mean (equal-weight over composites, label eras pooled n-weighted), n = 33)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS AA02 'Milk, 2%', As consumed, Canada: 26 composites 2000-2012 (mean 0.15, 14 non-detects, detection limit (detection limit) 0-1.1) + 7 composites of the 'lait, 2 %' label era (mean 0.6057, 0 non-detects); non-detects stored as 0
Coffee creamer, flavoured liquid
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.061 µg
per serving
at the reporting limit, 4 ppb
adds 0–0.17 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no lead was detected (3 samples, limit 4 ppb); at that limit a serving carries at most 0.061 µg, 0.17% of the 35 µg/day adult mean (EFSA). No safe level is set.
Intake: one 15.2 g (15 mL) serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4 ppb (all 3 composites non-detect; the value stored is the reporting limit (4 ppb), which is the upper bound, n = 3)
Measured on: US FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-2020, TDS food 168 'Cream substitute, non-dairy, liquid', 3 samples; no Canadian TDS creamer item.
Skim milk
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.059 µg
per serving
adds 0.12 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead, so no grams figure. A serving of skim milk carries 0.059 µg, which adds about 0.12% to the average adult's intake (an estimate, lower bound); far from doubling it.
Intake: one 250 mL serving a day (263.1 g, inherited), 70 kg adult (Health Canada TRA D.11) · Level in the food: 0.224 ng/g (µg/kg) (mean (equal-weight over composites, label eras pooled n-weighted), n = 16)
Measured on: Health Canada TDS AA04 'Milk, skim', As consumed, Canada: 8 composites 2000-2007 (mean 0.2313, 2 non-detects) + 4 composites 2009-2012 (mean 0.08675, 3 non-detects) + 4 composites of the 'Lait écrémé' label era (mean 0.3474, 0 non-detects); non-detects stored as 0
Zucchini, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.059 µg
per serving
adds 0.17 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day), so no grams figure is given. The FDA mean for boiled zucchini is 0.69 ppb across 27 samples (92.6% non-detects, 2 detects, reporting limit 4 ppb). A serving carries 0.059 µg, 0.17% of EFSA 2012's adult mean of 35 µg/day.
Intake: one serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.69 µg/kg (mean, n = 27)
Measured on: FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-2020, TDS food 407 'Zucchini, fresh/frozen, boiled' (US), 27 samples, 2 detects, reporting limit 4 ppb, standard deviation 2.5, max 11 ppb.
Soybean oil
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.046 µg
per serving
at the 5 ppb reporting limit
adds 0–0.13 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: all 3 FDA Total Diet Study composites of vegetable oil were below detection (reporting limit 5 ppb). Counting every one at that limit, a daily serving would add at most 0.13% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day. No safe threshold is set for lead.
Intake: one 9.21 g (10 mL) serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 5 ppb (all 3 composites non-detect; the value stored is the reporting limit (5 ppb), which is the upper bound, n = 3)
Measured on: FDA TDS FY2018-2020, food #379 'Oil, vegetable', 3 composites; 0 detects; reporting limit 5 ppb
1 other measurement of this food
1. Health Canada TDS 1999-2018, cooking fats and oils (with lard)
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.018 µg
  per serving
  mean, non-detects counted as zero, with the 1999 composite
  adds 0.02–0.06 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: a daily serving adds 0.016-0.058% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. This is a category figure for cooking fats and salad oils (7 of 17 composites below detection); one high 1999 composite is kept in, not dropped.
  Intake: one 9.21 g (10 mL) serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1.961 ng/g (mean (equal-weight), n = 17)
  Measured on: Health Canada TDS, food II01 'Cooking Fats and salad oils (Lard, vegetable shortening, canola, and corn)', 17 composites 1999-2018, as consumed (same category caveat as cadmium). Includes one 1999 'Multiple'-city composite of 23.88 ng/g; without it the 16 others give lower bound 0.59, MB 0.71, upper bound 0.83 ng/g.
Olive oil, extra virgin
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.045 µg
per serving
at the reporting limit
adds 0.13 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
All three composites non-detect; at the 5 ppb reporting limit a serving carries 0.0454 micrograms = 0.13% of the 35 micrograms/day background (0.50 micrograms/kg body weight/day); far below the doubling line.
Intake: one 9.07 g (10 mL) serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0 micrograms/kg (mean, n = 3)
Measured on: food-specific: FDA TDS FY2018-20 #378 'Oil, olive', 3 composites, 0 detects, reporting limit 5 ppb. No Canadian composite
Almond butter
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.045 µg
per serving
15 g × 2.98 µg/kg
adds 0.1–0.3 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2016–2023) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set, so there is no grams figure; the rating rests on what a serving adds to an average adult's daily lead intake. One 15.0 g serving carries 0.045 µg, which is 0.1–0.3% of that intake (37.5 and 13.6 µg/day as denominators). The CFIA mean of 2.98 µg/kg is a lower bound over 97 samples, 59 of them positive.
Intake: one 15.0 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 2.98 µg/kg (lower-bound mean over all n, n-weighted over the same three lines; 59 of 97 positive, n = 97)
Measured on: CFIA NCRMP 'Nut - Almond' as for cadmium; max 20 µg/kg
Almond drink, unsweetened, fortified
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.045 µg
per serving
adds 0.11–0.16 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Good 2026 · grade C ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set, so there is no grams figure; the rating rests on what a serving adds to average intake. One 250 mL serving carries 0.045 µg, which adds 0.11–0.16% to an average adult's 28–41 µg/day (EFSA 2012). The 0.18 µg/L comes from 4 US brands with no stated detection limit, and the paper's own calcium, potassium and sodium figures run 23 to 64 times too low, so its trace-metal values are probably low too; FDA found lead quantifiable (limit 6.0 µg/kg) in only 5 of 85 plant milks.
Intake: one 250 mL serving (250 g) a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.18 µg/L (mean ± standard deviation 0.07 across brands (brand means of triplicates), n = 4)
Measured on: Good et al. 2026, US (Houston) retail almond milk, 4 brands, ICP-MS; limit of detection not stated; as sold; µg/L taken as 0.001 µg/g (density 1.0)
Mayonnaise
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.035 µg
per serving
mean, non-detects counted as zero
adds 0.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a daily serving adds 0.10% to the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. A serving carries 0.035 µg. FDA Total Diet Study: 0 of 3 mayonnaise samples detected, reporting limit 4 ppb.
Intake: one 13.95 g (15 mL) serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 2.475 ng/g (mean (equal-weight of composites; two sets pooled by n), n = 16)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study, food II04 'Mayonnaise', as consumed: 13 composites 2000-2012 (mean 2.45 ng/g, 1 non-detect) and 3 composites 2016-2018 (2.585, 0 non-detects), pooled by n.
Albacore (white) tuna, canned in water
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.033 µg
per serving
adds 0.1 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
+0.1% of EFSA average adult intake (35 µg/day)
Intake: one 55 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.6 µg/kg (mean, n = 17)
Measured on: food-specific: CFIA canned albacore 2003-2021; 13 of 17 non-detect (stored 0); max 10 µg/kg
Sunflower seeds, dry-roasted
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.032 µg
per serving
adds 0.09 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. A 30 g serving at the Total Diet Study lower-bound mean of 1.052 ng/g (15 yearly composites, 4 below detection and counted as zero) carries 31.6 ng, 0.00045 µg/kg body weight/day, 0.09% of that reference point.
Intake: 30 g shelled serving (HC TRA O.1) · Level in the food: 1.052 ng/g (mean of 15 annual TDS composites (2000-2004, 2006-2012, 2016-2018 (15 annual composites)), nondetects counted as zero; 4 of 15 composites below the detection limit (max 2.9 ng/g), n = 15)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study, TDS food JJ11 "Seeds, shelled (Sunflower seeds)", as consumed, single-year composites; Canada. The 1993-99 pooled composite (7.24 ng/g, one record) is not averaged in
Butter, salted
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.025 µg
per serving
adds 0.07 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a 10.0 g serving adds 0.025 µg, 0.07% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. Health Canada Total Diet Study, mean of 17 composites (1999-2018).
Intake: one 10.0 g serving, 70 kg adult (Health Canada TRA H.1) · Level in the food: 2.515 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight, 17 composites), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study trace elements, TDS food AA12 'Butter (salted)', 1999-2018 (first composite 'TDS1993:1999' is multi-city), as consumed; Canada
Butter, unsalted
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.025 µg
per serving
adds 0.07 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a 10.0 g serving adds 0.025 µg, 0.07% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. Measured on salted butter; no unsalted measurement exists.
Intake: one 10.0 g serving, 70 kg adult (Health Canada TRA H.1) · Level in the food: 2.515 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight, 17 composites), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study trace elements, TDS food AA12 'Butter (salted)', 1999-2018 (first composite 'TDS1993:1999' is multi-city), as consumed; Canada
Garlic, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.016 µg
per serving
at most, at the reporting limit
adds 0.04–0.06 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake, which EFSA 2012 puts at 0.40–0.59 µg/kg body weight/day (28–41 µg a day, middle bound). A 4.0 g serving carries at most 0.016 µg, under 0.1% of that. The FDA found no lead in 6 samples, so the 4 ppb figure is a reporting limit (an upper bound), not a measurement.
Intake: one 4.0 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4 ppb (reporting limit (no detects in 6 samples), n = 6)
Measured on: FDA TDS FY2018-2020, 'Garlic, raw', 6 samples, none detected, reporting limit 4 ppb; the mean is N/A. The 4 ppb is the reporting limit (an upper bound), not a measurement.
Avocado, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.013 µg
per serving
adds 0.04 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Adds 0.04% to the average adult lead intake (0.50 µg/kg body weight/day = 35 µg/day, EFSA 2012), so no cap. A whole fruit (136 g) carries 0.06 µg, +0.17%; the highest composite (12 µg/kg) in a whole fruit 1.6 µg, +4.7%. Peruvian pulp (dry weight): lead 0.22-0.33 mg/kg in 3 of 9 regions, below detection elsewhere; US Hass flesh mostly below detection.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.44 µg/kg (mean, n = 27)
Measured on: food-specific: FDA TDS FY2018-2020 #97 'Avocado, raw', 27 composites, 1 detect (max 12 ppb), 26 non-detects, reporting limit 4 ppb (non-detects counted as 0)
Bacon, pan-fried
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.0095 µg
per serving
adds 0.03 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. Judged by what a serving adds to the average adult's intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012): one 15.0 g serving adds 0.03%, far under the doubling line. The FDA mean of 0.63 µg/kg (27 composites, 85.2% non-detects) is a lower bound.
Intake: one 15 g reference serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.63 µg/kg (mean of 27 composites (FDA), n = 27)
Measured on: US FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-2020, TDS food 20 'Pork bacon, oven-cooked', n 27 composites, as prepared; non-detects counted as zero (inferred, see notes); 4 detects, 23 non-detects, max 4.7 ppb, RL 4 ppb
Walnuts, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.0075 µg
per serving
adds 0.02 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day), so no grams figure is given. Only 1 of 22 FDA samples had detectable lead (maximum 5.6 ppb), giving a lower-bound mean of 0.25 µg/kg; 30 g carries 0.0075 µg. If the 21 non-detects sat at the 4 ppb reporting limit, the mean would be about 4.1 µg/kg, 0.12 µg a day, 0.4% of the BMDL01.
Intake: 30 g shelled serving (HC TRA O.1) · Level in the food: 0.25 µg/kg (mean (nondetects counted as zero); 1 of 22 samples detected, max 5.6 ppb, n = 22)
Measured on: US FDA TDS FY2018-2020, TDS food 403 Walnuts, shelled; reporting limit 4 ppb; USA
Half-and-half cream
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.00346 µg
per serving
adds 0.01 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a 15.3 g serving adds 0.0035 µg, 0.010% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. The mean is a lower bound (35% of composites were non-detects).
Intake: one 15 mL serving, 70 kg adult (Health Canada TRA D.6) · Level in the food: 0.225 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight, 17 composites, two era rows combined), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study trace elements, TDS food AA06 'Cream' (2000-2012, n = 13, 6 non-detects, mean 0.1868 ng/g) plus AA06 'Cream/Crème' (1999 and 2016-2018, n = 4, 0 non-detects, mean 0.3507 ng/g), as consumed; Canada
Heavy cream
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0.0034 µg
per serving
adds 0.01 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: a 15.1 g serving adds 0.0034 µg, 0.010% of the average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. The mean is a lower bound (35% of composites were non-detects).
Intake: one 15 mL serving, 70 kg adult (Health Canada TRA D.6) · Level in the food: 0.225 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight, 17 composites, two era rows combined), n = 17)
Measured on: Health Canada Total Diet Study trace elements, TDS food AA06 'Cream' (2000-2012, n = 13, 6 non-detects, mean 0.1868 ng/g) plus AA06 'Cream/Crème' (1999 and 2016-2018, n = 4, 0 non-detects, mean 0.3507 ng/g), as consumed; Canada
Flaxseed, ground
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0 µg
per serving
adds 0 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA 2018 · grade A ?
How it’s rated
All eight CFIA samples report 0 (not quantified), so only a lower bound exists; the detection limit for flax is not given. CFIA's general limit range is 0.0005-0.02 ppm: at the top of it, 15 g carries 0.3 µg, under 1% of the average adult's 35 µg/day, so no cap.
Intake: one 15.0 g serving a day (TRA C.5), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0 µg/kg (8 of 8 not quantified (result 0), n = 8)
Measured on: food-specific Canadian: CFIA 2018-19 'Seed - Flax'; detection limit (detection limit) not in the dataset
Flaxseed, whole
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0 µg
per serving
adds 0 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA 2018 · grade A ?
How it’s rated
All eight CFIA samples report 0 (not quantified), so only a lower bound exists; the detection limit for flax is not given. CFIA's general limit range is 0.0005-0.02 ppm: at the top of it, 30 g carries 0.6 µg, under 2% of the average adult's 35 µg/day, so no cap.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0 µg/kg (8 of 8 not quantified (result 0), n = 8)
Measured on: food-specific Canadian: CFIA 2018-19 'Seed - Flax'; detection limit (detection limit) not in the dataset
Hummus
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0 µg
per serving
30 g × 0 µg/kg; chickpea part only
adds 0 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level of lead is set. The only measured part is the chickpea (1 FDA sample of canned chickpeas, not detected), so it adds nothing to a 30 g serving on that evidence. Tahini lead (30 µg/kg, quantifiable samples only) is not scaled because the tahini share is unsourced; even a serving that was all tahini would add 0.9 µg, 2.6% of the average adult's 35 µg/day.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0 µg/kg (single sample, n = 1)
Measured on: chickpea component only: FDA TDS FY2018-2020, canned chickpeas, single sample (n 1, not detected, reported as 0 µg/kg lower bound-upper bound range)
Lentils, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0 µg
per serving
adds 0 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
lower bound 0, upper bound 4 µg/kg (the reporting limit); the upper bound adds 1.2% to the 35 µg/day average. No cap
Intake: one 105 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0 µg/kg (single sample, n = 1)
Measured on: food-specific but one sample: FDA TDS #546 'Lentils, dry, cooked' (not detected, reporting limit 4 ppb). No Canadian composite
Peanuts, dry-roasted
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0 µg
per serving
adds 0–0.34 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
lower bound 0, upper bound 4 µg/kg (the reporting limit); at most 0.12 µg per serving, up to 0.34% of average intake.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0 µg/kg (mean, n = 3)
Measured on: food-specific: FDA TDS #48 "Peanuts, dry roasted, salted" (0 of 3 detected; RL 4 µg/kg)
1 other measurement of this food
1. Health Canada TDS 2000-18, peanuts and walnuts together
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.15 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.43 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
  How it’s rated
  Middle bound (ND = half detection limit (detection limit); 12.5% non-detects, under the 60% line): 4.96 µg/kg. lower bound 4.87, upper bound 5.05 µg/kg; per serving 0.146-0.152 µg (MB 0.149); adds 0.42-0.43% to average intake (MB 0.43%; 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day). Recent 3 composites (2016-2018) mean 1.64 µg/kg.
  Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4.96 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
  Measured on: category: Health Canada TDS JJ12 "Nuts (Peanuts and walnuts)", 16 composites 2000-2018 (2 of 16 non-detect: detection limit (detection limit) 1.14 and 1.8 ng/g); contains walnuts
Peanuts, raw
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0 µg
per serving
adds 0–0.34 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
lower bound 0, upper bound 4 µg/kg (the reporting limit); at most 0.12 µg per serving, up to 0.34% of average intake.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0 µg/kg (mean, n = 3)
Measured on: food-specific: FDA TDS #48 "Peanuts, dry roasted, salted" (0 of 3 detected; RL 4 µg/kg)
1 other measurement of this food
1. Health Canada TDS 2000-18, peanuts and walnuts together
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.15 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.43 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
  How it’s rated
  Middle bound (ND = half detection limit (detection limit); 12.5% non-detects, under the 60% line): 4.96 µg/kg. lower bound 4.87, upper bound 5.05 µg/kg; per serving 0.146-0.152 µg (MB 0.149); adds 0.42-0.43% to average intake (MB 0.43%; 0.50 µg/kg body weight/day). Recent 3 composites (2016-2018) mean 1.64 µg/kg.
  Intake: one 30 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4.96 µg/kg (mean, n = 16)
  Measured on: category: Health Canada TDS JJ12 "Nuts (Peanuts and walnuts)", 16 composites 2000-2018 (2 of 16 non-detect: detection limit (detection limit) 1.14 and 1.8 ng/g); contains walnuts
Tilapia, cooked
Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
0 µg
per serving
adds 0 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. None of 27 baked tilapia samples in the FDA Total Diet Study had detectable lead (reporting limit 4 ppb), so a 100 g serving carries at most 0.4 µg, and only if every sample sat at that limit.
Intake: 100 g cooked (HC TRA I.3), one serving a day · Level in the food: 0 ppb (mean (0 detects in 27), n = 27)
Measured on: FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-FY2020, TDS food 388 "Tilapia, baked" (as eaten, baked; US retail; 27 samples). All 27 non-detect, reporting limit 4 ppb (mean reported N/A; shown as zero, lower bound).

Flags and context, not rated by dose

Corn tortillas
Nothing to watch: rated by margin of exposure
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
under +0.6% even at the reporting limit
Intake: one 55 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4 µg/kg (reporting limit, n = 27)
Measured on: food-specific: all 27 non-detect (< 4 µg/kg)
Cream cheese
Nothing to watch: rated by margin of exposure
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010). All 3 FDA composites were non-detects at a reporting limit of 4 ppb; if each sat at that limit, one serving would carry 0.120 µg, 0.34% of an average adult's 35 µg/day, and the lower bound is 0.
Intake: one 30 g serving a day (HC TRA D.1), 70 kg adult
Measured on: US FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-2020 elements supplement, TDS food 237 'Cream cheese' (as eaten, US), reporting limit 4 ppb
1 other measurement of this food
1. Health Canada TDS, cream standing in for cream cheese
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.0068 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.02 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: no safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010). A daily serving adds 0.019% to an average adult's lead intake of 35 µg/day. The figure is a proxy, Health Canada's mean for cream (not cream cheese) of 0.2254 µg/kg across 17 composites, 6 of them non-detects.
  Intake: one 30 g serving a day (HC TRA D.1), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.225 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight, 17 composites: 13 composites 2000-2012 at 0.1868 and 4 composites 1999 and 2016-2018 at 0.3507), n = 17)
  Measured on: PROXY: Health Canada Total Diet Study, TDS food AA06 'Cream' (cream; not cream cheese), as consumed, Canada, 1999-2018; non-detects stored as 0 (6 of 17)
Mango, raw
Nothing to watch: rated by margin of exposure
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2016–2023) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe level is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01). Judged by what a daily serving adds to the average adult's intake (35 µg a day): between 0.2% and 4.1%, far from doubling it. Only a range can be stated honestly: CFIA's imported mango (164 samples, 53 positive) varies widely by year, and the widest year sets the top of the range.
Intake: one 140 g serving a day, 70 kg adult
Measured on: CFIA NCRMP 2016-17 to 2021-22, commodity 'Mango', import B2: n 164, 53 positives, mean of positives 0.00157-0.032 ppm by year, max 0.387 ppm. FDA TDS food 412 found lead in none of 6 samples (reporting limit 4 µg/kg).
Oysters, canned
Nothing to watch: rated by margin of exposure
CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day), so no grams figure. The single CFIA canned sample was a non-detect, which cannot be rated against the average adult intake of 35 µg a day; it is treated as no added intake, at a detection limit that is unknown. For scale, raw eastern oysters average 0.034 µg/g (66 samples), which at 55 g would be 1.9 µg a day (5% of average intake).
Intake: 55 g canned (HC TRA I.4) · Level in the food: 0 µg/g (single sample, non-detect, n = 1)
Measured on: CFIA inspection result, one sample: OYSTER, PACIFIC /JAPANESE, Sample Type Meat, Primary Process Canned, sampled 8 March 2013, Domestic, sampling plan 'Environmental Contaminants - Harvest Area' (system ID 2013FFI-0000101993-4); not a market-basket survey; basis not stated. The row reads 0.00 ppm; the detection limit (detection limit) is not given.
Pineapple, raw
Nothing to watch: rated by margin of exposure
CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2016–2023) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01)), so no grams figure is given. One daily 140 g serving adds about 0.3-2.0% to the average adult's lead intake (35 µg/day), far from doubling it. The range is wide because 69.2% of 117 Canadian import samples had no detectable lead, and the FDA found none in 27 samples.
Intake: one 140 g serving a day, 70 kg adult
Measured on: CFIA NCRMP 2016-17 to 2021-22, commodity 'Pineapple', import B2: n 117, 36 positives, mean of positives 0.0026-0.0166 ppm by year, max 0.0529 ppm. FDA TDS food 396 found lead in none of 27 samples (reporting limit 4 µg/kg), so FDA gives no mean.
Sour cream
Nothing to watch: rated by margin of exposure
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
No cap: no safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day), so no grams figure is given. All 3 FDA composites were non-detect at the 4 ppb reporting limit; if every one sat at that limit, a serving would carry 0.117 µg, 0.33% of an average adult's 35 µg/day, and the lower bound is 0.
Intake: one 29 g serving a day (HC TRA D.14), 70 kg adult
Measured on: US FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-2020 elements supplement, TDS food 300 'Sour cream' (as eaten, US), reporting limit 4 ppb
1 other measurement of this food
1. Health Canada TDS, cream standing in for sour cream
  Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
  0.0066 µg
  per serving
  adds 0.02 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
  Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
  How it’s rated
  No cap: no safe threshold is set for lead (EFSA 2010), so no grams figure is given. Health Canada has no sour cream category, so the figure is for cream: a mean of 0.2254 ng/g across 17 composites, 35.3% non-detects. A daily serving carries 0.0066 µg and adds 0.019% to an average adult's lead intake (35 µg/day), far from doubling it.
  Intake: one 29 g serving a day (HC TRA D.14), 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.225 µg/kg (mean (equal-weight, 17 composites, two era rows combined: 13 composites 2000-2012 at 0.1868 and 4 composites 1999 and 2016-2018 at 0.3507), n = 17)
  Measured on: PROXY: Health Canada Total Diet Study, TDS food AA06 'Cream' (cream; not sour cream), as consumed, Canada, 1999-2018; non-detects stored as 0 (6 of 17)
Brown rice, cooked
Worth knowing
0.56 µg
per serving
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Flagged: lead has no safe threshold, so no grams figure is given. All 27 FDA composites of cooked brown rice were below the 4 ppb reporting limit, so the figure is an upper bound of at most 0.56 µg a serving. The contribution to average intake was not computed, so the food is flagged rather than banded.
Intake: one 140 g cooked serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 4 ppb (reporting limit (no detects: 0 of 27; the table gives no mean), n = 27)
Measured on: food-specific: US FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-2020 elements supplement, TDS food 402 'Rice, brown, cooked' (as eaten, US), 27 samples, reporting limit stated per analyte, reporting limit 4 ppb
Flour tortillas
Worth knowing
0.055 µg
per serving
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Flagged: no safe threshold is set for lead, so there is no grams figure. 24 of 27 FDA composites of flour tortilla fell below the 4 ppb reporting limit; the printed mean of 1 ppb fits non-detects counted as zero, but the table does not say so, so the bound is not stated and the figure is not used for a contribution percentage.
Intake: one 55 g serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 1 ppb (mean as printed (3 of 27 detected; standard deviation 3.5, max 17; the table does not say how non-detects enter the mean), n = 27)
Measured on: food-specific: US FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-2020 elements supplement, TDS food 63 'Tortilla, flour' (US, 27 samples; the table does not say how the tortillas were prepared or heated), reporting limit 4 ppb
Kidney beans, canned
Worth knowing
0.4 µg
per serving
per 100 g (upper bound)
US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Flagged, not banded: no safe threshold is set for lead, so no grams figure is possible. All 3 FDA samples of canned, drained kidney beans fell below the 4 ppb reporting limit, so 0.4 µg per 100 g is an upper bound, not a measurement.
Intake: 100 g drained beans (illustration) · Level in the food: 4 ppb (reporting limit (no detects: 0 of 3), n = 3)
Measured on: food-specific: US FDA Total Diet Study FY2018-2020 elements supplement, TDS food 528 'Beans, kidney, canned, drained solids' (US, 3 samples), reporting limit 4 ppb
Rolled oats, dry
Worth knowing
0.014 µg
per serving
adds 0.04 % to an average adult’s intake (a share of that intake, not of a limit)
CFIA 2016–2017 · grade A ?
How it’s rated
Flagged, though no reading comes near a cap. On the lower bound a serving adds 0.04% to average intake. The upper bound is missing (the file gives no detection limit); even the highest sample detected (20 µg/kg x 40 g = 0.8 µg) adds 2.3%. It stays flagged because more than 60% of samples were below detection, and then the method asks for both bounds.
Intake: one 40 g dry serving a day, 70 kg adult · Level in the food: 0.35 µg/kg (mean, n = 100)
Measured on: food-specific: CFIA 'Oatmeal' dry as sold, 2016-17; 98 of 100 non-detect, 2 detects (15 and 20 µg/kg)
Chicken liver, simmered
Not rated yet
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · grade B ?
How it’s rated
Not rated: no total diet food code exists for chicken liver, so there is no lead figure for it. Only a proxy is on record, Health Canada's liver pâté category (lead 7.289 ng/g in 12 composites, 4.677 ng/g in 3), and it is not used to rate.
Intake: not applicable (flag)
Measured on: no total diet food code for chicken liver
Clams, cooked
Not rated yet
4.1 µg
per serving
CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
Not rated: no safe level of lead is set (EFSA 2010 reference point benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day, 35 µg/day at 70 kg), so there is no grams figure, and what a serving adds to average adult intake was not worked out. CFIA clam meat averages 0.0413 µg/g on a cooked basis (raw lower-bound mean 0.0239 × 1.73; 99 samples, 6.1% non-detects), so a 100 g cooked serving carries 4.1 µg; whole-animal clams are higher, about 19 µg per 100 g cooked.
Intake: 100 g cooked (HC TRA I.3), one serving a day · Level in the food: 0.041 µg/g (mean (raw lower bound mean 0.0239 x 1.73), n = 99)
Measured on: CFIA inspection results (not a random survey), all CLAM species, Sample Type Meat, any Primary Process (fresh, frozen, live, cooked; surf, soft-shell, Manila, geoduck, quahog and others), 2000-2021, domestic, import and export mixed; publisher gives ppm or µg/g (treated alike), basis not stated (wet tissue presumed). This is mostly RAW or frozen-raw meat. Cooked-basis value = raw mean x 1.73, the ratio of non-water solids in USDA FDC cooked (water 63.64 g/100 g) to raw (78.98 g/100 g) mixed-species clam, assuming nothing is lost in cooking (an upper bound; no retention study found). 6 of 99 non-detects; plain (upper bound) raw mean 0.0239; raw median 0.010, max 0.448 µg/g.
Edamame, cooked
Not rated yet
CFIA 2016–2017 · grade C ?
How it’s rated
Not rated: no safe level of lead is set, so once measured it would be rated by what a serving adds to average adult intake (28–41 µg/day, EFSA 2012). No measurement of edamame was found. Dry mature soybeans measured 6.1–11 µg/kg in CFIA samples, a different stage, and cooked mature soybeans (29 µg/kg) are not used as a proxy, so the amount is left missing.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult
Measured on: No measurement of edamame (green soybean, frozen or cooked) found
Lemon juice
Not rated yet
CFIA 2008 · grade B ?
How it’s rated
Not rated: no safe limit is set for lead (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01)), and there is no as-eaten concentration for lemon juice; the concentrate figure is not single-strength juice and the whole-fruit figure includes peel. For scale only, even 0.1564 µg/g (the concentrate maximum) in 5.2 g is 0.8 µg, 2.3% of the 35 µg a day average adult intake; that is an upper-end illustration, not a row value.
Intake: 5 mL (5.2 g) a day
Measured on: No as-eaten lead figure for lemon juice. CFIA concentrate survey 2008-09 (lemon juice concentrate, n 15, 10 detects): mean 0.03511 µg/g, median 0.0094, max 0.1564, non-detects as 0 (lower bound), on the CONCENTRATE. CFIA whole lemon import: n 188, 46 positives.
Mussels, cooked
Not rated yet
36.5 µg
per serving
CFIA mercury and metals in fish (2000–2021) · grade B ?
How it’s rated
Not rated: no safe threshold is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day, 35 µg/day at 70 kg. Cooked mussels average 0.3647 µg/g at the lower bound (CFIA inspection results, 583 samples, 4.3% non-detects; the raw mean of 0.1823 doubled for water loss), so a 100 g cooked serving carries 36.5 µg. No comparison with average adult intake has been made.
Intake: 100 g cooked (HC TRA I.3), one serving a day · Level in the food: 0.365 µg/g (mean (raw lower bound mean 0.1823 x 2.00), n = 583)
Measured on: CFIA inspection results (not a random survey), MUSSEL, BLUE, Sample Type Whole, Primary Process Live or Fresh, 2000-2021, domestic, import and export mixed; publisher gives ppm or µg/g (treated alike) and does not state wet or dry basis (wet tissue presumed: zinc and copper agree with USDA); this is RAW tissue as sold. Cooked-basis value = raw mean x 2.00, the ratio of non-water solids in USDA FDC cooked (water 61.15 g/100 g) to raw (80.58 g/100 g) blue mussel, assuming no contaminant is lost in cooking (an upper bound; no cooking-retention study found). 25 of 583 non-detects; plain (upper bound) raw mean 0.1856; raw median 0.110; max 6.459 µg/g (one extreme sample).
Mustard greens, cooked
Not rated yet
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements
How it’s rated
Cannot be rated: no occurrence value for mustard greens in the sources opened. Not borrowed from collards.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult
Measured on: no mustard-greens data in Health Canada TDS, FDA TDS FY2018-2020 or CFIA 2018-19 metals (3 resources); EFSA 2012 blocked
Mustard greens, raw
Not rated yet
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements
How it’s rated
Cannot be rated: no occurrence value for mustard greens in the sources opened. Not borrowed from collards.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult
Measured on: no mustard-greens data in Health Canada TDS, FDA TDS FY2018-2020 or CFIA 2018-19 metals (3 resources); EFSA 2012 blocked
Rhubarb, raw
Not rated yet
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements
How it’s rated
Not rated: no measured lead value for rhubarb has been found yet. None is borrowed from another food.
Intake: one 140 g serving a day (85 g is the alternative), 70 kg adult
Measured on: Not found: as cadmium (Health Canada TDS Lead, q=rhubarb: 0 records; FDA workbook: none; EFSA 2010/2012: blocked).
Watercress, raw
Not rated yet
Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements
How it’s rated
Not rated: no measured lead value for watercress has been found yet. None is borrowed from another food.
Intake: one 85 g serving a day, 70 kg adult
Measured on: Not found: same search as cadmium: 0 Health Canada TDS records for watercress; not in the FDA TDS workbook; EFSA 2010/2012 category tables blocked (Wiley 403).