Cacau e chocolates “BEAN TO BAR”: Contaminantes Inorgânicos e ocratoxina A

• Ano de defesa: 2023
• Autor(a) principal: Burgon, Vitor Hugo
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Instituto de Tecnologia de Alimentos; Campinas-SP; Brasil; Centro De Ciência e Qualidade de Alimentos - CCQA; Pós-graduação em Ciências e Tecnologia de Alimentos; ITAL
• Palavras-chave em Português: Contaminantes inorgânicos; ocratoxina A; chocolate artesanal; segurança de alimentos; ICP OES; ICP-MS; HPLC-FLD
• Link de acesso: http://repositorio.ital.sp.gov.br/jspui/handle/123456789/789

The interest and appreciation for “Bean to Bar” chocolates (from the bean to the bar) has grown, with appeal for being more natural, artisanal, and sustainable. Its production occurs on a smaller scale than industrial production, with the use of adapted equipment and careful selection of cocoa, which has controlled origin and higher added value. These products value quality and socio-environmental issues. However, some studies on traditionally produced chocolates show contamination with inorganic contaminants and mycotoxins. The main sources of contamination by inorganic contaminants such as arsenic, lead, and cadmium are related to their presence in the environment, strongly associated with the region where cocoa is grown, while ochratoxin A can be formed during the drying and storage stage of cocoa. To protect public health and ensure the supply of safe products to consumers, it is extremely important to study the levels of inorganic contaminants and ochratoxin A in cocoa beans and evaluate the occurrence of these contaminants in chocolates. Thus, this study aimed to study and validate analytical methods to evaluate the occurrence of trace elements arsenic, cobalt, cadmium, lead, copper, mercury, and selenium and ochratoxin A in cocoa beans and “Bean to Bar” chocolate from Brazil (Amazon, Amapá, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Pará, and Roraima) using analytical techniques such as optical emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma source (ICP OES), mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma source (ICP-MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) and calculate the estimate of ingestion and/or exposure to these trace elements and ochratoxin A. The detection and quantification limits for As, Cd, Cu, and Pb in cocoa beans ranged from 0.021 to 0.171 and 0.033 to 0.272 mg kg-1, respectively. For As, Co, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Se in “Bean to Bar” chocolates, the values ranged from 0.001 to 0.019 and 0.002 to 0.029 mg kg-1, respectively. For ochratoxin A in cocoa beans and “Bean to Bar” chocolates, the detection or quantification limits were equal to 0.04 and 0.1 µg kg-1, respectively. Twenty-three samples of cocoa beans and 65 “Bean to Bar” chocolates were analyzed for the determination of trace elements. For ochratoxin A, 43 samples of cocoa beans were analyzed, 22 of which were collected during the pre-processing (fermentation and drying) on two farms located in Arataca-BA (n=14) and Mocajuba-PA (n=8), and 62 “Bean to Bar” chocolates. As and Hg were not detected in any of the analyzed samples. The average concentrations of trace elements in “Bean to Bar” chocolates ranged from <LOD to 0.145 for Cd; 3.90 to 10.109 for Cu; <LOD to 0.47 for Co; <LOD to 0.02 for Pb, and for Se, from <LOD to 0.088 mg kg-1, while in cocoa beans they ranged from <LOD to 0.68 for Cd; 16.6 to 22.38 for Cu and for Pb, from <LOD to 0.04 mg kg-1. The Cd content exceeded the maximum tolerated limit of 0.30 mg kg-1 for cocoa paste, established by Brazilian legislation for cocoa beans and chocolates. The calculation of Cd exposure considering a daily consumption of 15.75 g of “Bean to Bar” chocolate for children reached up to 94% of the Provisional Tolerable Monthly Intake (PTMI). The concentration of ochratoxin A in cocoa beans ranged from <LOD to 0.76 µg kg-1, and in “Bean to Bar” chocolates it ranged from <LOD to 0.09 µg kg-1, with none of the samples exceeding the maximum tolerated limit established by Brazilian regulation. The estimated intake did not reach the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI). It was observed that higher levels of trace elements and ochratoxin A were concentrated in pre processed cocoa beans and chocolates with a higher percentage of cocoa solids.