Changes in the mineral and trace element contents of cereals, fruits and vegetables in Finland

The contents of calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, aluminium, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, selenium, zinc, cadmium and lead in cereal products, fruits and vegetables were analysed and the results were compared with those obtained 30 years previously in food samples from Finland. There were significant changes in the trace elements. In most cases trace elements contents are now lower than before. Only the selenium content of foods had clearly increased in Finland, through the use of selenium-supplemented fertilizers. There was a change in average mineral element content only for potassium, whose content was significantly lower than in the middle of the 1970s. We found that trace element density in vegetable foods has decreased over the past three decades. Per capita daily intakes of mineral elements in the 2000s were lower than in the 1970s, although the consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased since 1970s.