Chlorate Levels in Dairy Products Produced and Consumed in Ireland

• Published in: Foods 2023-06, Vol.12 (13), p.2566
• Main Authors: Twomey, Lorna, Furey, Ambrose, O'Brien, Bernadette, Beresford, Tom P, Reid, Paula, Danaher, Martin, Moloney, Mary, Madende, Moses, Gleeson, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Butter; Cheese; Chlorate; Chlorine; Cream; Dairy industry; Dairy products; Disinfection & disinfectants; Food; Food science; Fruits; Generalized linear models; Market shares; maximum residue limit; Milk; Physiological aspects; Sample size; Statistical analysis; Strawberries; Supermarkets; Thyroid; Thyroid gland; Winter; Yogurt
• ISSN: 2304-8158; 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods12132566

In recent years, chlorate has become a residue of concern internationally, due to the risk that it poses to thyroid gland function. However, little is known about its occurrence in dairy products of Irish origin. To address this, a study was conducted in which samples of milk ( = 317), cream ( = 199), butter ( = 178), cheese ( = 144) and yoghurt ( = 440) were collected from grocery stores in the Republic of Ireland. Sampling was conducted across spring, summer, autumn and winter of 2021. Samples from multiple manufacturers of each respective dairy product were procured and analysed for chlorate using UPLC-MS/MS. Chlorate was detected in milk, cream, natural, blueberry, strawberry and raspberry yoghurts. Mean chlorate levels detected in these products were 0.0088, 0.0057, 0.055, 0.067, 0.077 and 0.095 mg kg , respectively. Chlorate was undetected in butter and cheese (