{"id":5738,"date":"2018-03-30T13:44:42","date_gmt":"2018-03-30T11:44:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ec2-52-47-168-51.eu-west-3.compute.amazonaws.com\/?page_id=5738"},"modified":"2026-09-20T12:09:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T10:09:44","slug":"heavy-metals","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dev.phytocontrol.com\/en\/our-analyses\/heavy-metals\/","title":{"rendered":"Heavy metals"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Accueil<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n

Heavy metals <\/h1>\n
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What is a heavy metal? How do you analyse heavy metals<\/strong>?<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, aluminium, etc.)<\/strong> are metallic elements naturally present in our environment. In excess, they can pose a considerable health risk. As such, they are among the main contaminants in foodstuffs<\/strong> and their presence is subject to regulatory monitoring. It is essential to monitor heavy metal levels in our food, as trace metallic elements (TME)<\/strong> come from both human activities and their natural dispersion in the environment. They can accumulate in certain plant- and animal-based products and are thus found throughout the food chain. This is why they are now closely monitored in foodstuffs, as well as in water and soil.<\/p>\n\n\n

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EU regulations 2023\/915 and EC 396\/2005 set the maximum levels of heavy metals in human and animal food.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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CONTROL PLAN<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our expertise in heavy metal analysis<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Over 20 years of expertise in analysing heavy metals in food.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Our laboratory carries out, under COFRAC accreditation, analyses covering 26 heavy metals in accordance with regulations, ensuring reliability and trust.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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An analytical facility of over 200 m\u00b2 combining the most modern TME preparation and detection technologies, for fast and reliable analyses.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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More than 40,000 samples tested for heavy metals and TME in 2025, demonstrating the robustness of our processes and the scale of our activity.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Phytocontrol identifies and quantifies all of these TME in food with great responsiveness, drawing on the most advanced preparation and detection technologies:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mineralisation by microwave in a closed high-pressure system or by open Digiprep system, and detection\/quantification by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP\/MS).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Arsenic speciation (arsenite AsIII, arsenate AsV, arsenobetaine AsB, arsenocholine AsC, monomethylarsonic acid MMA and dimethylarsinic acid DMA) by LC-ICP\/MS with limits of quantification from 0.02 mg\/kg.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Mercury speciation (methylmercury and mercury II) by LC-ICP\/MS with a limit of quantification of 0.02 mg\/kg.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Fluorine quantification in animal feed using a specific electrode.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Detection and characterisation of nanoparticles (TiO2<\/sub>, Ag, Au).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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EXPERTISE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which heavy metals do we analyse?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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