You are completely wrong about that. You have it backwards.
Let's knock this on the head once and for all in case this ignorance continues to be perpetuated.
In foods, tin is a poison. Copper is not considered so. And in the sort of fragments of elemental copper resulting from copper bullets, even less so. Though I also don't think we need worry too much about the fragments left in meat by tin bullets, nevertheless it is toxic. It's the amount in tinned food that is the main concern.
Specific to lead, this is regulated and monitored in foods where it is considered to be of concern at the moment, which does not as yet include wild game. Because it has been considered an inconsequential part of the diet of the general population. However, logically, it is not consistent to maintain that position, particularly when it can be a large part of the diet of some.
By analogy, the maximum allowed in the meat (excluding offal) of bovine animals, sheep, pig and poultry is 0.1 mg per kg. That's about 1.5 grains/kg, Apply that to lead shot game and it may be unachievable for some of it.
See
Lead
Specifically, if you study the the regulations for contaminants of every description, applicable to human consumption, and monitored, which you will find at
Consolidated TEXT: 32006R1881 — EN — 21.05.2015 you will discover that both lead, and tin, are regulated. Tin is certainly not regarded as non-toxic. Quite the opposite.
As for copper, it gets no mention. Because it is not regarded as being of any significance to human health in food production.
Indeed it is essential for our bodies, The recommended daily allowance is 900 micrograms, which fortunately is similar to that in a normal balanced diet.
What are the symptoms of copper deficiency?
Signs of possible copper deficiency include anemia, low body temperature, bone fractures and osteoporosis, low white blood cell count, irregular heartbeat, loss of pigment from the skin, and thyroid problems.
What is copper supplement good for?
Copper is an essential nutrient for the body. Together with iron, it enables the body to form red blood cells. It helps maintain healthy bones, blood vessels, nerves, and immune function, and it contributes to iron absorption. Sufficient copper in the diet may help prevent cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, too.
It's not just humans who need it, it's often a vital supplement for sheep and cattle farmers.
Copper deficiency in sheep and cattle | Agriculture and Food:
However one of the historical large uses was as a fungicide, "Bordeaux Mixture", which has largely, but not totally, been banned in EU and UK agriculture, not because of a concern for human health but because of its toxicity to fish, livestock and earthworms. And BTW this is not elemental copper, but it's sulphate, combined with lime.
Vast quantities of it used to be used in e.g. vineyards, fruit and nut farming etc. Still is in some places as an "organic" fungicide. I daresay quite a lot of it remained on the skins of the grapes and fruit, unless washed off. Doesn't seem to be much of a human health concern, expect maybe for the workers spraying it.
Lead and tin, (and several other metals), are not needed, and several of them are also very bad for us, so these are controlled and monitored in human food.
Some details of the allowable limits for lead in food:
| Foodstuffs (3) | Maximum levels
(mg/kg wet weight) | |
| 3.1 | Lead | |
| 3.1.1 | Raw milk (8), heat-treated milk and milk for the manufacture of milk-based products | 0,020 |
| 3.1.2 | Infant formulae and follow-on formulae (6) ►M3 (10) ◄ | 0,020 |
| 3.1.3 | Meat (excluding offal) of bovine animals, sheep, pig and poultry (8) | 0,10 |
| 3.1.4 | Offal of bovine animals, sheep, pig and poultry (8) | 0,50 |
| 3.1.5 | Muscle meat of fish (25) (26) | 0,30 |
| ▼M6 | | |
| 3.1.6 | Crustaceans (27): muscle meat from appendages and abdomen (44). In case of crabs and crab-like crustaceans (Brachyura and Anomura) muscle meat from appendages. | 0,50 |
| ▼B | | |
| 3.1.7 | Bivalve molluscs (27) | 1,5 |
| 3.1.8 | Cephalopods (without viscera) (27) | 1,0 |
| ▼M6 | | |
| 3.1.9 | Legume vegetables (28), cereals and pulses | 0,20 |
| 3.1.10 | Vegetables, excluding brassica vegetables, leaf vegetables, fresh herbs, fungi and seaweed (28). For potatoes the maximum level applies to peeled potatoes. | 0,10 |
| 3.1.11 | Brassica vegetables, leaf vegetables (43) and the following fungi (28): Agaricus bisporus (common mushroom), Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster mushroom), Lentinula edodes (Shiitake mushroom) | 0,30 |
| ▼B | | |
| 3.1.12 | Fruit, excluding berries and small fruit (28) | 0,10 |
| 3.1.13 | Berries and small fruit (28) | 0,20 |
| 3.1.14 | Fats and oils, including milk fat | 0,10 |
| 3.1.15 | Fruit juices, concentrated fruit juices as reconstituted and fruit nectars (16) | 0,050 |
| 3.1.16 | Wine (including sparkling wine, excluding liqueur wine), cider, perry and fruit wine (13) | 0,20 (29) |
| 3.1.17 | Aromatized wine, aromatized wine-based drinks and aromatized wine-product cocktails (15) | 0,20 (29) |
| ▼M3 | | |
| 3.1.18 | Food supplements (39) | 3,0 |
As for tin, most exposure to that is from the tin plating of steel cans, hence why they are nowadays sometimes lacquered inside to reduce levels when used to package acidic contents:
| 3.4 | Tin (inorganic) | |
| 3.4.1 | Canned foods other than beverages | 200 |
| 3.4.2 | Canned beverages, including fruit juices and vegetable juices | 100 |
| 3.4.3 | Canned baby foods and processed cereal-based foods for infants and young children, excluding dried and powdered products (5) (30) | 50 |
| 3.4.4 | Canned infant formulae and follow-on formulae (including infant milk and follow-on milk), excluding dried and powdered products ►M3 (10) ◄ (30) | 50 |
| 3.4.5 | Canned dietary foods for special medical purposes (11) (30) intended specifically for infants, excluding dried and powdered products | 50 |
The other metals that are regulated are cadmium and mercury. Which are present in the environment, soil and seawater. Cadmium is a tricky one, in certain agriculture in some areas it is difficult to avoid contamination, so derogations have been made in some cases. Using ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) Doesn't mean it's a good idea to eat it though.
FYI, here are the limits for these:
Cadmium.
| 3.2 | Cadmium | |
| 3.2.1 | Vegetables and fruit, excluding root and tuber vegetables, leaf vegetables, fresh herbs, leafy brassica, stem vegetables, fungi and seaweed (28) | 0,050 |
| 3.2.2 | Root and tuber vegetables (excluding celeriac, parsnips, salsify and horseradish), stem vegetables (excluding celery) (28). For potatoes the maximum level applies to peeled potatoes | 0,10 |
| 3.2.3 | Leaf vegetables, fresh herbs, leafy brassica, celery, celeriac, parsnips, salsify, horseradish and the following fungi (28): Agaricus bisporus (common mushroom), Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster mushroom), Lentinula edodes (Shiitake mushroom) | 0,20 |
| 3.2.4 | Fungi, excluding those listed in point 3.2.3 (28) | 1,0 |
| 3.2.5 | Cereal grains excluding wheat and rice | 0,10 |
| 3.2.6 | — Wheat grains, rice grains
— Wheat bran and wheat germ for direct consumption
— Soy beans | 0,20 |
| 3.2.7 | Specific cocoa and chocolate products as listed below (49) | |
| — Milk chocolate with < 30 % total dry cocoa solids | 0,10 as from 1 January 2019 | |
| — Chocolate with < 50 % total dry cocoa solids; milk chocolate with ≥ 30 % total dry cocoa solids | 0,30 as from 1 January 2019 | |
| — Chocolate with ≥ 50 % total dry cocoa solids | 0,80 as from 1 January 2019 | |
| — Cocoa powder sold to the final consumer or as an ingredient in sweetened cocoa powder sold to the final consumer (drinking chocolate) | 0,60 as from 1 January 2019 | |
| 3.2.8 | Meat (excluding offal) of bovine animals, sheep, pig and poultry (8) | 0,050 |
| 3.2.9 | Horsemeat, excluding offal (8) | 0,20 |
| 3.2.10 | Liver of bovine animals, sheep, pig, poultry and horse (8) | 0,50 |
| 3.2.11 | Kidney of bovine animals, sheep, pig, poultry and horse (8) | 1,0 |
| 3.2.12 | Muscle meat of fish (25) (26), excluding species listed in points 3.2.13, 3.2.14 and 3.2.15 | 0,050 |
| 3.2.13 | Muscle meat of the following fish (25) (26):
mackerel (Scomber species), tuna (Thunnus species, Katsuwonus pelamis, Euthynnus species), bichique (Sicyopterus lagocephalus) | 0,10 |
| 3.2.14 | Muscle meat of the following fish (25) (26):
bullet tuna (Auxis species) | 0,15 |
| 3.2.15 | Muscle meat of the following fish (25) (26):
anchovy (Engraulis species)
swordfish (Xiphias gladius)
sardine (Sardina pilchardus) | 0,25 |
| 3.2.16 | Crustaceans (27): muscle meat from appendages and abdomen (44). In case of crabs and crab-like crustaceans (Brachyura and Anomura) muscle meat from appendages | 0,50 |
| 3.2.17 | Bivalve molluscs (27) | 1,0 |
| 3.2.18 | Cephalopods (without viscera) (27) | 1,0 |
| 3.2.19 | Infant formulae and follow on-formulae (10) (30) | |
| — powdered formulae manufac- tured from cows' milk proteins or protein hydrolysates | 0,010 as from 1 January 2015 | |
| — liquid formulae manufactured from cows' milk proteins or protein hydrolysates | 0,005 as from 1 January 2015 | |
| — powdered formulae manufac-tured from soya protein isolates, alone or in a mixture with cows' milk proteins | 0,020 as from 1 January 2015 | |
| — liquid formulae manufactured from soya protein isolates, alone or in a mixture with cows' milk proteins | 0,010 as from 1 January 2015 | |
| 3.2.20 | Processed cereal-based foods and baby foods for infants and young children (5) (30) | 0,040 as from 1 January 2015 |
| 3.2.21 | Food supplements (39) excl. food supplements listed in point 3.2.22 | 1,0 |
| 3.2.22 | Food supplements (39) consisting exclusively or mainly of dried seaweed, products derived from seaweed, or of dried bivalve molluscs | |
Mercury. A concern in seawater fishery. Indeed UK advice is to consider limiting your intake of certain fish if it is a large part of your diet.
Fish and shellfish
| 3.3 | Mercury | |
| ▼M6 | | |
| 3.3.1 | Fishery products (27) and muscle meat of fish (25) (26), excluding species listed in 3.3.2. The maximum level for crustaceans applies to muscle meat from appendages and abdomen (44). In case of crabs and crab-like crustaceans (Brachyura and Anomura) it applies to muscle meat from appendages. | 0,50 |
| ▼M3 | | |
| 3.3.2 | Muscle meat of the following fish (25) (26):
anglerfish (Lophius species)
Atlantic catfish (Anarhichas lupus)
bonito (Sarda sarda)
eel (Anguilla species)
emperor, orange roughy, rosy soldierfish (Hoplostethus species)
grenadier (Coryphaenoides rupestris)
halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus)
kingklip (Genypterus capensis)
marlin (Makaira species)
megrim (Lepidorhombus species)
mullet (Mullus species)
pink cusk eel (Genypterus blacodes)
pike (Esox lucius)
plain bonito (Orcynopsis unicolor)
poor cod (Tricopterus minutes)
Portuguese dogfish (Centroscymnus coelolepis)
rays (Raja species)
redfish (Sebastes marinus, S. mentella, S. viviparus)
sail fish (Istiophorus platypterus)
scabbard fish (Lepidopus caudatus, Aphanopus carbo)
seabream, pandora (Pagellus species)
shark (all species)
snake mackerel or butterfish (Lepidocybium flavobrunneum, Ruvettus pretiosus, Gempylus serpens)
sturgeon (Acipenser species)
swordfish (Xiphias gladius)
tuna (Thunnus species, Euthynnus species, Katsuwonus pelamis) | 1,0 |
I wish you great success, because you have now arrived.
I think I must be dead.
