DETERMINATION OF THE CADMIUM CONTENT IN SOILS, FRUITS, FERMENTED AND DRY BEANS, COCOA LIQUOR, AND CHOCOLATE IN PRODUCING AREAS OF THE SAN MARTÍN REGION

Abstract

In the present work was evaluated the content of cadmium in soils, leaves, fresh almonds (testa and embryo), dried fermented almonds, cocoa liquor, and chocolate bars with 70% cocoa, two provinces (Bellavista and Huallaga), and 5 locations (3 in Bellavista and 2 in Huallaga) of the San Martín Region. The cadmium content was determined with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, using a filtered sample obtained from 0.5 g of dry sample and 5 ml of perchloric nitric solution, after digestion; tests carried out in laboratories of the Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSM). The maximum values obtained for cadmium content (ppm) were: in soils, 0.960; in sheets 0.780; in testa and cotyledon 0.098; in fermented and dried almonds 0.075; in cocoa liquor, 0.210; in chocolate tablets with 70% cocoa 0.625. The correlation coefficient (R2) for fermented and dried almonds, indicates that there is no significant difference between zones, while in cocoa liquor the Tingo de Saposoa sample was statistically different (p<0.05), all values being below the maximum allowable. The increase in the content of cadmium in chocolate may be due to complementary ingredients (milk, panela) or to the processing equipment used.