SUMMARY Seventy cheese and fifty luncheon samples were randomly collected from Assiut city markets representing the most kinds consumed in Egypt including hard, processed and soft imported and local) cheese and luncheon products of two main companies (represented by A and B) over a period of ten months from January to October 1994. Samples were analyzed for estimation of lead, iron, copper, zinc, manganese and cadmium levels by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The obtained results revealed that lead, iron, copper, zinc, manganese and cadmium mean values in different kinds of cheese were 0.28+ 0.01, 26.4+1.7, 29+0.1, 20.2+4.7, 2.410.1 and 29+0.2 mg/kg dry weight, respectively. Kareish cheese was found to contain the highest values of lead, copper, manganese and cadmium with an averages of 0.55+0.03, 5.2+0.8, 4.5+ 0.4 and 5.4+0.4 mg/kg, respectively. Damietta cheese contained the highest levels of iron with a mean level of 32.7+5.4, while the highest values of zinc was found in local hard cheese with a mean level of 43.6+20.3 mg/kg dry weight. 100% of cheese samples contained lead values higher than 0.10 mg/kg dry weight. Relatively higher values of estimated elements were recorded in local cheeses in comparison with imported types. The mean values and the total mean of these elements in luncheon of the two companies (A and B) were, 0.93 +0.15, 1.15 0.17 and 1.03 +0.11 for lead; 719+12.07, 76.8+11.2 and 73.1+ 8.05 for iron;
+ و12
3.87,139
3.03+
and 129 +2.38.for copper; 60.6 +8.84, 61.3 +7.8 and
61.0 +5.8 for zinc; 5.3 +1.4, 7.25 +1.5 and 6.27+1.05 for manganese and 5.08+ 1.56, 5.3 +1.32 and 5.13 +0.99 mg/kg for cadmium. 59% of the total samples contained more than 0.5 mg lead/kg; 58,5% of samples contained zinc values higher than 56 mg/kg and 55% contained higher levels than 0.9 mg cadmium/kg. Possible health risk of these elements was also discussed.