efsa-opinion-chromium-food-drinking-water

Chromium in food and drinking water
described for most of the food groups at FoodEx level 1, a broad range of concentrations was reported
among the different food subgroups. The highest concentrations were observed for ‘Chocolate (cocoa)
products, unspecified’ (1428 g/kg, n = 421), together with ‘Chocolate bars’ (886 g/kg, n = 5). The
high chromium levels detected in the chocolate products notably influenced the mean occurrence
values in the food group ‘Sugar and confectionery’.
Another food group that stands out among the others due to its chromium levels was ‘Animal and
vegetable fats and oils’ (LB = 263 g/kg and UB = 301 g/kg, n = 186). The main subgroups
responsible for the high levels of chromium reported for this food group were the high levels found in
some vegetable oils such as ‘Sunflower oil’ (LB = 592 g/kg and UB = 680 g/kg, n = 57) and
‘Rapeseed oil’ (LB = 425 g/kg and UB = 427 g/kg, n = 11). Other food samples with reported high
levels of chromium were animal fats such as ‘Pork lard (Schmaltz)’ (LB = 263 g/kg and
UB = 264 g/kg, n = 20) and ‘Butter’ (LB = 176 g/kg and UB = 179 g/kg, n = 23). Results reported
in the literature on chromium levels in this type of foods are somehow contradictory, probably due to
the low number of samples analysed. While in the second French TDS study (Nöel et al., 2012) high
concentrations of chromium were reported in oils (1000 g/kg), butter (640 g/kg) or margarine
(590 g/kg), a previous study in Turkey found very low levels in different types of vegetable oils
included sunflower oil (Pehlivan et al., 2008).
The most reported food group was ‘Vegetables and vegetable products (including fungi)’ with a total
of 4 647 samples. Although this food group at FoodEx level 1 showed relatively high concentrations
of chromium, an exhaustive evaluation of the different food subgroups provided a different
conclusion. Only very specific food commodities within this food group presented high concentrations
of chromium while the rest showed, in general, relatively low concentrations (below 100 g/kg).
Foods contained in the food subgroups ‘Cocoa beans and cocoa products’ and ‘Tea and herbs for
infusions (Solid)’ reported the highest concentrations. Particularly high were the values reported for
‘Cocoa powder’ (n= 239) with average values of 4345 g/kg (LB = UB), although all cocoa-related
products had high concentrations of chromium. It is also important to mention that chocolatecontaining
foods had higher concentrations of chromium as compared to other food commodities at
the same FoodEx level. This was the case for ‘Croissant, filled with chocolate’ (358 g/kg, LB = UB)
or ‘Chocolate and chocolate products for diabetics’ (1226 g/kg, LB = UB). Regarding ‘Tea and herbs
for infusions (Solid)’, apart from one sample of ‘Maté (Ilex paraguariensis)’ with reported
concentration of 6930 g/kg, ‘Ginseng root (Panax ginseng)’ and ‘Camomile flowers (Matricaria
recutita)’ had the highest concentrations of chromium with 1327 g/kg and 1150 g/kg, respectively
(LB = UB). Both ‘Cocoa beans and cocoa products’ and ‘Tea and herbs for infusions’ have been
reported in the literature as possessing high amounts of chromium. As an example, different cocoa
samples and chocolate products were recently analysed for chromium values in the range 260-6260
g/kg (Sager, 2012). Similarly, high values of chromium have been reported in different herbs and
infusions in a study carried out in Turkey (Başgel and Erdemoğlu, 2006), with concentrations in the
range of 340-1220 g/kg.
In the remaining food subgroups from ‘Vegetables and vegetable products (including fungi)’ there
were only few foods for which high concentrations of chromium were reported. Examples of these
foods are samples of ‘Sea weeds’ (441 g/kg, LB = UB), ‘Chilli pepper (Capsicum frutescens)’
(1137 g/kg, LB = UB.), ‘Shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes)’ (LB = 345 g/kg and
UB = 364 g/kg) or ‘Sun-dried tomatoes’ (423 g/kg, LB = UB) (see Appendix E for details).
EFSA Journal 2014;12(3):3595 44