Although nickel-free products are not included in the official pharmacopoeia, they are a great help to people who are allergic to this heavy metal (approximately 5-6% of the population). Ever since the importance of nickel-free foods has been discovered, the food industry has shown an increased interest in such products.
But how does a grower succeed in offering nickel-free vegetables? We spoke about it with Mario Cugno from the certification agency Bureau Veritas. He explained the importance of certification for nickel-free products in today's consumer market for fresh and processed fruit and vegetables.
Mario Cugno
"First of all, this means that the grower, processor and seller can prove to the consumer that they are committed to more sustainable and safe cultivation, paying attention to the most vulnerable people," replied the Business Development Manager for Sicily. "Only through a product certification, issued by an independent organization, can the grower communicate and guarantee the value of their product in terms of sustainability and food safety."
What are the steps for obtaining the nickel-free certification for substrate cultivation and can you make the soil nickel-free?
"To obtain the certification, a cultivation company or a processing company (in this case the supply chain must be involved) must prepare a roadmap describing the responsibilities, procedures and control mechanisms to ensure nickel-free products. To obtain certification, the control system must be evaluated by an independent party who also ensures that all phases and control measures provided for in the dossier are implemented and effective. An analytical control plan for the detection of nickel in marketed products is indispensable. In particular, substrate cultivation avoids the uptake of nickel present in the soil. But with the necessary precautions and research, sandy soil can also lend itself to nickel-free cultivation."
Growing tomatoes on substrate
Is it possible to make soil free of heavy metals? "It is not possible to make a soil free of heavy metals", the expert is very clear about this. "Soils naturally contain heavy metals in varying quantities depending on the rocks on which they are formed. In addition to the metals naturally present in the soil, precipitation and agricultural and horticultural activities, including the supply of fertilizers, also increase the number of heavy metals in the soil. The metals in the surface layer can be absorbed by the roots of the plants or penetrate further into the soil with the seepage of rainwater. Thus, only the accumulation of heavy metals via external inputs can be effectively contained. To counteract the problems of nickel accumulation in vegetables, alternative cultivation systems can be adopted, such as immersion of the roots in a nutrient solution (hydroponics), substrate cultivation (e.g., natural fibers, perlite and/or sand) or cultivation on sandy soils."
"In the above cases and by using fertilizers containing little or no heavy metals, it is possible to grow vegetables or fruits without or with a very low nickel content, so as not to cause problems with food intolerance, for example."
Also, when it comes to the production of fertilizers, the legislator, has set specific limits, considering the danger of heavy metals. Thus, in comparison to the legislation currently in force (Reg. CE 2003/2003), the new EU Regulation 1009/2019 defines the limits for the various fertilizers. The use of new fertilizers with a low heavy metal content will limit their accumulation in the soil and consequently their uptake by the plants.
For more information: 
Mario Cugno
Bureau Veritas Italia
Via Epicarmio Corbino 59 -
96001 - Augusta (Italy)
+39 3420746548
mario.cugno@bureauveritas.com
www.bureauveritas.it
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