Exposure assessment of glyphosate residues in soy-based infant formulas from the Brazilian market

Glyphosate (GLY) is an herbicide used in several crops, such as soybean, and its residues can be found in grain and in processed foods produced from this raw material. To verify the level of consumer exposure to GLY in infant formulas produced with soy extract and/or protein, a risk assessment was carried out. Commercial samples available on the Brazilian market (n = 117) were analyzed for GLY and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The deterministic approach was used to assess the risk associated with exposure to GLY through diet in three hypothetical scenarios. The levels of GLY and AMPA in the samples ranged from not detected (ND) to 1.08 mg kg(-1) and ND to 0.17 mg kg(-1), respectively. An exposure assessment showed a GLY intake of up to 15.42 mu g kg(-1) body weight for 0-5 month-old babies and of up to 8.16 mu g kg(-1) body weight for 6-11 month-old infants. We compared these values with the acceptable daily intake (ADI) established by relevant authorities and concluded that under the conditions of the study exposure to GLY of the population studied is not of concern. Our results could provide a direction for future studies on the complete diet of babies > 6 months of age.