Determination of trace metals in canned anchovies and canned rainbow trouts

Trace metal (Fe, Zn, Cu, Cd, Sn, Hg and Pb) concentrations of canned anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus Linnaeus, 1758) and canned rainbow trouts (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum, 1792), commercialized in Turkey, were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometer (ICP–MS). The average contents of trace metals in canned anchovies and canned rainbow trouts were found as 50.708 and 6.980 mg/kg for iron, 22.467 and 11.605 mg/kg for zinc, 1.145 and 0.541 mg/kg for copper, 0.019 and 0.001 mg/kg for cadmium, 0.140 and 0.023 mg/kg for tin, 0.041 and 0.026 mg/kg for mercury, and 0.188 and 0.167 mg/kg for lead, respectively. Although these products pose no risk with respect to the concentrations of zinc, copper, cadmium, tin and mercury, some of the samples had higher contents of lead and iron than the permissible limits. Comprehensive and periodic controls of trace metals in canned fish are needed to assess the safety of these products with respect to human health.