Sources and analysis of iodine in Singapore diet

Abstract

<P>AN INVESTIGATION OF THE IODINE CONTENT IN FOODS (INFANT FOODS, SEAFOOD, FISH AND MEAT, VEGETABLES) DAILY CONSUMED IN SINGAPORE HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT, SEEMINGLY FOR THE FIRST TIME. TWO ANALYTICAL METHODS, INDUCTIVELY COUPLE PLASMA MASS SPECTROMETRY(ICP-MS) AND THE VISIBLE SPECTROPHOTOMETRY (COLORIMETRIC TECHNIQUE), WERE PERFORMED IN THIS STUDY. IODINE CONTENT IN THE INFANT FOODS EXAMINED MET THE DAILY REQUIRED INTAKE. ALSO, THE POSSIBLE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE IODINE CONTENTS IN DIFFERENT FOODS ARE DISCUSSED. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS SHOWS THAT IODINE CONCENTRATIONS OBTAINED FROM THE COLORIMETRIC METHODS ARE LOWER THAN THOSE FROM THE ICP-MS ANALYSIS. THE COLORIMETRIC TECHNIQUE SHOWED POOR REPEATABILITY, ESPECIALLY FOR THE SAMPLES WITH IODINE COVALENTLY BOUND TO ORGANIC COMPOUNDS. INDEED, THE COLORIMETRIC METHOD PROVIDED THE FREE IODINE ONLY WHILE THE ICP-MS ANALYSIS OFFERED THE TOTAL IODINE. COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE TWO ANALYTICAL METHODS STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT ICP-MS ANALYSIS IS MORE FEA