Diet based on cereal, vegetables, oleaginous and dried fish are providing essential metallic elements.
It can be also a source of exposure to toxic metallic elements. The aims of this study were to evaluate
the contents on nine metallic trace elements (Fe, Zn, Mn, Co, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, Cr) in some major raw
foodstuffs including rice, maize, peanut, tomato and dried fish in Burkina Faso and assess the health
risk of these elements. Two hundred twenty‑two samples were collected and analyzed by atomic
absorption spectrometry. The health risk assessment was based on the United States Environment
Protection Agency (USEPA) model. Iron and Zinc were the elements with the highest concentrations
in the investigated foodstuffs. The iron highest median value (68.80mg/kg) was observed in dried
fish followed by maize (43.09mg/kg) and peanuts (28.92 mg/kg). Rates of 77.95%, 66.66% and
32.5% obtained respectively fro tomato, maize and rice samples were above the maximum limit
of lead set by Codex Alimentarius while 47.6%, 71.16% and 0% of maize, tomato and rice samples
respectively have shown concentration above the maximum limit of cadmium. Chromium had shown
higher contribution rate to the maximum daily intake of 167.11%, 34%, 2% and 8.53% for rice, maize
and peanut respectively. A non‑cancer risk situation has been observed on rice, maize and peanut
consumption. None of the index risk values was above the threshold set by USEPA.