Risk assessment of heavy metals and biogenic amines in branded versus non-branded Pixian Doubanjiang: Implications for the safety of Sichuan cuisine.

Abstract

Pixian Doubanjiang (DBJ), an essential ingredient in Sichuan cuisine, is at risk of co-contamination by heavy metals and biogenic amines. In this study, 406 DBJ samples were analyzed for five heavy metals and six biogenic amines, accompanied by health risk assessments. The results revealed that chromium (Cr) was the most frequently detected heavy metal exceeding safety limits, with an overall exceedance rate of 9.4%. Non-branded samples also showed violations for lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) at rates of 0.50%, while arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) levels remained well below permissible limits in both branded and non-branded samples. Branded samples exhibited a higher mean Cr concentration (0.721 mg/kg). Conversely, non-branded samples displayed elevated concentrations of Pb (5.0 times higher), Hg (2.5 times higher), Cd (1.71 times higher), and As (1.35 times higher), likely due to gaps in quality. Regarding biogenic amines, all samples complied with reference limits except for spermidine, which exceeded limits in 34.0% of branded and 32.5% of non-branded samples. Additionally, non-branded samples had a higher median histamine concentration (22.794 mg/kg) compared to (15.386 mg/kg). Risk assessments indicated that non-branded DBJ posed a 2.9-fold increased risk of Cr intake for children. The data suggested distinct sources of heavy metals in branded samples, whereas non-branded samples exhibited shared pollution pathways and a correlation between Hg and histamine levels (r = 0.229, p = 0.001). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic comparative investigation of the co-contamination characteristics, correlation patterns, and population-specific risk assessments of heavy metals and biogenic amines in both branded and non-branded DBJ. This study addresses the existing limitation in safety data for DBJ and provides targeted support for establishing a food safety database for traditional fermented condiments