Daily intake of trace metals through coffee consumption in India

The trace element contents of five varieties of instant coffee powder avail able in the Indian market have been analysed. Ca, Cr, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Ni, Sr , Zn and Pb, Cd, Cu have been determined using atomic absorption spectropho tometry and differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry, respectively. The metal levels in the coffee powders observed in this study are comparabl e with those reported for green coffee beans (Arabica and Robusta variety) reported worldwide with the exception of Sr and Zn, which were on the lower side of the reported values. Concentrations of these metals have been conv erted into intake figures based on coffee consumption. The daily intakes of the above metals through ingestion of coffee are 1.4 mg, 1.58 mug, 124 mug , 41.5 mg, 4.9 mg, 17.9 mug, 2.9 mug, 3.8 mug, 12.5 mug, 0.2 mug, 0.03 mug and 15.5 mug, respectively. The values, which were compared with the total dietary intake of metals through ingestion by the Mumbai population, indica te that the contribution from coffee is less than or around 1% for most of the elements except for Cr and Ni which are around 3%.