A Preliminary study on cadmium levels in selected imported sugars obtained in the Batticaloa town

Abstract

Since the detection of toxic levels of cadmium in imported sugar in Sri Lanka, foodstuffs including sugar have been subjected to meticulous analytical testing. Cadmium is a detrimental heavy metal that primarily causes kidney damage in humans. In order to investigate the cadmium contamination in sugar, three imported sugar samples were collected from groceries in the Batticaloa town area, and the cadmium levels in the sugar samples were assessed by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS).The results of the research conducted in the Eastern University Sri Lanka, revealed that the sugar samples displayed varied levels of cadmium present in them. The highest and the lowest Cd levels were reported in two different Brazilian sugars namely sugar B (0.123 mg kg'1) and sugar A (0.022 mg kg'1). However, the contents of Cd in the analyzed sugars were well below the recommended maximum acceptable level proposed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), and thus can be concluded safe for consumption.