Pure and Applied Chemistry

Abstract: Iodine is an essential trace element, and its deficiency has caused concern in many countries. Foods are the principal source of iodine, and its levels are generally low. In this study, selected food items were obtained from food market outlets in Brisbane, Australia. Food samples of dietary intakes of selected healthy children in Brisbane, Australia, were also collected for analysis and assessment of iodine nutritional status. In Australia, there has been little study on iodine dietary intakes, particularly in young children. The aims of this study were to provide further information on iodine levels in foods for Australian food composition data, and to estimate the iodine daily intakes of selected healthy children. Food samples were analyzed for iodine concentrations using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after alkaline digestion with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), and the method was validated using a certified reference material of nonfat milk (NIST, SRM 1549). The results of this study indicated a wide variation of iodine in foodstuffs, which ranged from <0.02 to 0.101 mg/kg for cereals, 87 to 299 μg/kg for milk, and 86 to 271 μg/kg for cheese products. The study also showed that the daily intakes of iodine in these children (n = 15) varied widely and ranged from 36.9 to 288.1 μg/day (mean ± s.d, 93.1 ± 76.7 μg/day).