Dietary Intake of Essential Elements from African Foods Available in the UK Market

Background: Foods containing essential elements are important to human health. There is concern regarding micronutrient deficiency in the African population, and there is a need to identify foods that can address this public health issue. This study focuses on the determination of essential elements (EEs) in four African food categories: plant-based agricultural products (PBAPs), spices (SPs), fishery products (FPs), and non-food items/additives (NFAs) on sale in the UK market. Methods: Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for measuring trace essential elements (TEEs—Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se) and major essential elements (MEEs—Na, Mg, K, Ca) in the four categories of the African foods. Results: Mean concentrations (µg/g) for the TEEs were Cu 5.3, 7.3, 23.5, and 7.4; Fe 79.0, 263, 107.7, and 1311.3; Mn 23.4, 28.5, 15.9, and 47.4; Se 0.3, 0.1, 1.6, and 0.6; Zn 8.9, 11.4, 26.8, and 6.2 (PBAPs, SPs, FPs, NFAs, respectively). Mean concentrations of the MEEs (mg/g) were Na 0.6, 11.2, 13.3, and 32.9; Mg 1.6, 1.9, 2.4, and 5.5; K 9.2, 14.6, 9.6, and 8.3; Ca 4.1, 3.3, 27.5, and 127.8. All elements were below the upper intake limits (ULs) established by WHO/EFSA. When expressed as a percentage of the recommended daily allowance (%RDA) for adult males/females, 100% or more of the requirement was achieved for Cu (107.1%) and Ca (112.8%) in FPs. Excess index (EI), hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) values for all TEEs were <1, indicating there is no non-cancerogenic health concern across all food categories. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that African foods available in the UK are substantial sources of essential micronutrients. The fishery products contain high levels of nutrients that are often deficient in African diets. However, before recommending these foods for nutritional interventions, a comprehensive risk–benefit assessment, considering potential toxic metal contamination and microbial hazards must be undertaken. Future studies should expand the sample pool to include a broader range of African foodstuffs and national representation, coupled with integrated risk-benefit analyses.