Brazil: Embrapa suggests maximum limit of copper contaminants for the nut market
Brazil
Published May 27, 2022
Tridge summary
Technical note signed by Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical provided subsidies for the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) to issue a favorable opinion on changing the maximum tolerable limit of copper contaminants (LMT) in chestnuts, from 10 mg/kg to 30 mg/kg . The measure covers chestnuts, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts and almonds.
Original content
There was concern, on the part of the sector, with the previously established limit, which could make the production and commercialization of the product unfeasible. In response to a demand from the cashew kernel industry, the Unit carried out the study that determined the new food safety parameters. Researchers Marlos Bezerra and Carlos Taniguchi sign the technical note that describes how the presence of copper is manifested in cashew nuts, proving that the material is part of the plant's physiology. The copper contents found in the fruit come from the natural process of nutrition of the species. After analyzing the evidence presented, Anvisa concluded that “the previous LMT was disproportionate, as it did not adequately reflect the natural occurrence of copper in these foods”. The new index was published in Normative Instruction No. 152, of May 3, 2022. The lack of definition about the indicators would put the cashew nut processing industry in Brazil at risk, since the products ...
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