Application of Nuclear Techniques in Food Safety Assessment:

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the levels of natural radioactivity and toxic elemental contamination in commonly consumed food products in Algeria. Seven rep- resentative food items, including dates, green tea, baby formula, wheat, fish feed, broth cubes, and bread were collected from various regions and analyzed using high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometry and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF). Elemental analysis by EDXRF revealed notable aluminium contamination across sev- eral samples and slight exceedances of toxic metals, particularly mercury and lead with the highest concern observed in baby formula. While most samples remained within international safety limits, the presence of these elements in infant-targeted products warrants further monitoring. Gamma spectrometry was employed to measure activity concentrations of naturally oc- curring radionuclides, including Uranium-235 (235U), Thorium-232 (232Th), Radium- 226 (226 Ra) and Potassium-40 (40K), as well as the artificial radionuclide Cesium-137 (137 C's). Comparative analysis with international data indicated general conformity, though certain food types showed elevated levels. Keywords: food safety, Algeria, gamma spectrometry, EDXRF, HPGe detector, heavy metals, natural radioactivity, NORM, infant exposure, contamination assess-ment.