AAS DETERMINATION OF CALCIUM, SODIUM, AND POTASSIUM IN DAIRY-PRODUCTSUSING TCA FOR EXTRACTION

The mineral content in dairy products is very important for maintainin g proper health. The most common extraction techniques used for routin e analyses are dry ashing or wet digestion, which are time-consuming a nd potentially hazardous. In this study, a clarification method using trichloroacetic acid was evaluated for the analysis of solid matrices, such as cheese, to determine the presence of Ca, Na, and K. Percent r ecovery was evaluated using standard solutions and a BCR milk powder w ith a known element content. Trials were carried out on milk and chees e spiked with cations. The percent recovery (ranging from 93.0% to 99. 5%) indicates good accuracy and precision.