This European Standard specifies a method for the determination of arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead in foodstuffs by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The collaborative study included foodstuffs having an arsenic mass fraction ranging from 0,06 mg/kg to 21,5 mg/kg dry matter (d. m.), cadmium ranging from 0,03 mg/kg to 28,3 mg/kg d. m., mercury ranging from 0,04 mg/kg to 0,56 mg/kg d. m. and lead from 0,01 mg/kg to 2,4 mg/kg d. m.