Minerals in milk powders of different regional origin: A preliminary study.

摘要

Information about trace elements composition of food materials has become increasingly important for both consumers and the governments. This information may offer a unique means to trace the regional origin of foods. The latter is critically important because of both food safety and commercial reasons. A preliminary study was conducted to identify differences in mineral content of milk powders as a function of their regional origin. Mineral composition of thirteen milk powder of different regional origin was investigated. Ten trace elements: Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Ba, and Pb, and three macro elements: Ca, Mg, and Na, were determined. The elemental composition analysis was conducted using microwave acid digestion, followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) and by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), respectively. Milk powders from a similar region, regardless of , exhibited similar levels of trace elementals. Results indicated that in some cases ratio of specific trace elements could be effectively used to separate the investigated powders according to their regional origin. Results of the study have established data suggesting the mineral composition of milk powder can potentially allow identifying the regional origin of the powder.