COPPER AND CHROMIUM LEVELS IN CANDIES AND CANDY PACKAGES

Various plastic materials are used in candies packaging and most of them have inorganic pigments used in inks and plastics that can contaminate the food. Heavy metals, such as copper and chromium can pose health problems. Aim of the study was to determine the levels of Cu and Cr from different samples of candies and also from candy packages using standard addition method and flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The determination of the total metals concentration in the investigated samples was done after sample mineralization step, using two methods of digestion: the acid digestion method and the dry ash method. The calibration curves were obtained using solutions prepared by diluting stock solutions with deionized water to the desired concentrations. The recovery studies were carried out in triplicate for replicates of spiked samples. Results were satisfactory, with recoveries between 98 and 101% indicating the high accuracy of the method. The smaller concentrations of metals were observed in candy packages than in candies. The average highest level of Cu was recorded in apple candies. To appraise the health risk associated with heavy metal contamination of the studied products, estimated daily intake of metals (EDIM) was calculated. Data generated during the study was processed by means of various statistical tests, such as t test and the One-Way ANOVA. Results show that the mean concentration for all the elements was significantly different (alpha= 0.05) for all samples. The concentrations of Cu and Cr in candies and their packaging do not exceed the permissible limits.