Rev.
Téc. Ing. Univ. Zulia, 2026, Vol. 49, e264903
Rethinking the proportionality of cadmium limits in raw unprocessed cocoa beans
Ana Marta Francisco Dos Santos1*
1 Laboratorio de Ecofisiología Vegetal, Centro de Ecología, Instituto
Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, (IVIC) Apartado postal 21827, Caracas
1020-A, Venezuela.
2 Laboratorio de Química
Analítica. Centro de Química, Dr. Gabriel Chuchani. Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones
Científicas, (IVIC) Apartado postal 21827, Caracas 1020-A, Venezuela.
3Ministerio del P.P. Industrias y
Comercio Nacional.
*Autor de correspondencia:
amfrancisco@ivic.gob.ve
https://doi.org/10.22209/rt.v49a03
Recepción: 28 marzo 2025. | Aceptación: 23 abril 2025. / Publicación: abril 2026.
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) tends to bioaccumulate
in cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) grains,
affecting human health and
marketing potential. The European
Union (EU) drafted and approved
in 2019 the Regulation Nº. 488/2014 for processed cocoa, and led to research on bioaccumulation
in grains, potential health risks, product
quality, and export potential. The results show high Cd levels in cocoa at
different regions in the Latin American. However, this regulation does
not stipulate maximum limits for unprocessed cocoa. In this absence, the
regulations have used these parameters as a reference to the limits in
processed cocoa, generating over estimation of metal concentration, market
disputes and trade distortion. This article reviews the levels of Cd in cocoa
almonds, justifies the inappropriate implementation of this regulation to
unprocessed cocoa, and makes proposals for maximum limits in almonds and their
implications. The present model provides adequate categorization and showing
that the maximum limits Cd for row almonds of 1.14 μg g-1, 1.22 μg g-1 and
1.02 μg g-1 are
significantly reduced from the values categorized as high (according to EU),
from 70.59 to only 30.53 %, a reasonable figure which is appropriate for the
unprocessed cocoa. Analysis of seed fractions, and primary products show where
is the variability in Cd concentrations.
Key words: bioaccumulation;
cadmium; cocoa; EU Regulation Nº. 488/2014; Theobroma
cacao.
Replanteamiento de la proporcionalidad en los
límites del cadmio en el grano de cacao crudo seco sin procesar
Resumen
El cadmio (Cd) se bioacumula en
los granos de cacao (Theobroma cacao L.), afectando la salud humana y
el potencial de comercialización. La Unión Europea (UE) aprobó en 2019 el
Reglamento No. 488/2014 para el cacao procesado, y dio lugar a investigaciones
sobre la bioacumulación en los granos, los riesgos potenciales para la salud,
la calidad del producto y el potencial de exportación. Resultados muestran
altos niveles de Cd en cacao de diferentes regiones de América Latina. Este reglamento
no establece límites máximos para el cacao sin transformar. Utilizando estos
parámetros como referencia a los límites del cacao procesado, ocurre una
sobreestimación de la concentración de metales, disputas y distorsión
comercial. Aquí se examinan niveles de Cd en almendras de cacao, se justifica
el inadecuado uso del reglamento y se proponen máximos para almendras y sus
consecuencias. Esto proporciona una nueva categorización a los límites máximos
Cd para las almendras de 1,14 μg g-1, 1,22 μg g-1 y 1,02
μg g-1 reduciendo significativamente los valores (según la UE), de
70,59 a sólo 30,53 %; una cifra razonable y adecuada para el cacao no
transformado. Los análisis de las fracciones de semillas y de productos
primarios muestran dónde está la variabilidad en las concentraciones de Cd.
Palabras
clave: bioacumulación; cadmio; Theobroma cacao, UE Regulación Nº. 488/2014.
Reavaliação da
proporcionalidade dos Limites de Cádmio em grãos de cacau Crus, secos e não
processados
Resumo
O cádmio (Cd) bioacumula-se nos grãos de cacau (Theobroma cacao
L.), impactando a saúde humana e o potencial de mercado. Em 2019, a União
Europeia (UE) adotou o Regulamento nº 488/2014 para o cacau processado, o que
motivou pesquisas sobre bioacumulação nos grãos, potenciais riscos à saúde,
qualidade do produto e potencial de exportação. Os resultados mostram altos
níveis de Cd no cacau de diferentes regiões da América Latina. Este regulamento
não estabelece limites máximos para o cacau não processado. O uso desses
parâmetros como referência para os limites no cacau processado leva a uma
superestimação das concentrações do metal, disputas e distorções comerciais.
Este artigo examina os níveis de Cd nos grãos de cacau, justifica o uso
inadequado do regulamento e propõe limites máximos para os grãos e suas
consequências. Isso proporciona uma nova categorização dos limites máximos de
cádmio para amêndoas: 1,14 μg g⁻¹, 1,22 μg g⁻¹ e 1,02 μg g⁻¹, reduzindo
significativamente os valores (de acordo com a UE) de 70,59 % para apenas 30,53
%, um valor razoável e adequado para cacau não processado. Análises das frações
de sementes e produtos primários mostram onde reside a variabilidade nas
concentrações de cádmio.
Palavras-chave: bioacumulação; cádmio; Regulamento da UE N.º 488/2014; Theobroma
cacao.
Introduction
Many animal and
plant species accumulate heavy metals, and therefore a number of regulations
have been created that set the maximum permitted limits in the food industry.
This accumulation is often "natural" by certain plant species called "accumulators
or bioaccumulators" (Khan et al.,
2015). The causes may be of geophysical origin (weathering, volcanic
eruptions), anthropogenic (industrialization, water pollution, fertilization,
inappropriate agricultural practices), and others.
There is abundant
evidence that cadmium causes a number of disorders in human health, as a result
of its high mobility and bioaccumulative power (Reyes et al., 2016; Antoine, et al.,
2017, Engbersen et al., 2019; Zug et al., 2019, Maddela et al., 2020). As a result, studies have
been carried out to determine the concentration of Cd in cocoa, trying to find
and minimize the causes of this bioaccumulation, and thus seek alternatives in
terms of cultivation areas, soil type, water sources, approaches to industrialized
centers, and the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers (He et al., 2015).
To help maintain the quality of the product for the final consumer, avoid
market distortions and mainly stimulate and protect the cocoa producer in the
South American region (Perú, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela) as the
principals exporter countries, it is necessary to know the quality of the
product to be exported. Soil cadmium pollution, and other metals, resulting
from diverse sources, has posed an increasing challenge to soil quality and
food security as well as to human health and a problem to be solved in the
human foods. The European region is the
main consumer of cocoa products and therefore the main
trading partner for cocoa-exporting countries, particularly Latin American producer countries. This is why
the European Union (EU) has
established a regulatory
standard for the concentration of cadmium in cocoa, since the population of this continent
is the largest
consumer almost tripling the global consumption standard, and because
cadmium is a toxic element for
health. The considerations made have a significant
impact on the cocoa market of Latin American countries, where production comes from small producers, as opposed to West African production, which accounts for 66 % of the
world total (Meter et al., 2019).
The implementation of Regulation No. 488/2014 which set tolerable limits between 0.1 to 0.8μg g-1 for cocoa products led researchers and producers to look for ways to
reduce and adjust concentrations,
to the limits
set by the EU. However, research shows that soils generally
have low concentrations of Cd, and the bioavailability of this metal to
plants depends on soil-specific factors such as soil texture, the
origin of irrigation water, of runoff, pH, among others possible.
On the other
hand, higher concentrations of Cd have been reported
in the soil itself, this probably
being caused by various factors
between the soil-cocoa system. For example, fertilization with phosphate products is the
main source of incorporation of Cd in the soil,
and erroneous agricultural practices such as their use of fruit
remains as fertilizer at the feet of
plants. This is why the
concentration values of Cd of ten exceed
the limits set by the EU. The accumulation of fruit remains, exocarp, at the base of trees helps
to increase the build-up of
Cd and other metals. Another important factor is to avoid
irrigation with industrial waste water, or
that rainwater run-off does not come from
such places and proximity from roads.
As mentioned above this regulation
assigns a high value to chocolates (elaborated product) with total dry matter percentage 50 %, establishes tolerable limits for Cd in chocolate (final consumption),
but uses arguments from the Environmental
Quality Standards (EQS) and
is inconsistent in setting similar values for foods which
are very different in origin and representativeness in the total dietary exposure of consumers
to cadmium, and this is not
the same with raw product. It also provides
values with little scientific basis which could become
obstacles to the production process and would constitute a technical barrier to trade
by confusing the tolerable limits, in derived or processed
products for the marketing of cocoa beans (Pastor, 2017; Intriago et al., 2019).
In this context, the reference
standard for determining cadmium levels in cocoa beans is Regulation
488/2014 (EU, 2014), which has been
in force since January 2019
and establishes tolerable limits
between 0,1 to 0.8 μg g-1
to chocolate products
and has not maximum limit for unprocessed
almonds or grains. This gap in the regulations leads to an inadequate
methodology when applying tolerable limits of derived or
processed products to the concentrations
in unprocessed cocoa beans
(Pastor, 2017). For this reason,
other authors (Meter et al., 2019) have
also suggested that a maximum limit of Cd in dry grains or
unprocessed cocoa mass hold be awarded, using some criteria
and based on what is already
set out in the current EU regulation. With the implications such as the regulatory
vacuum for the producer that
harm the economy and discourage the producer with
the consequent possible replacement of illicit crops
in the region (Alvarado, et al., 2020).
In this context, the objective
of this work
is to review
and approach research on Cd levels in cocoa for major producers
in Latin America; it is to contribute
to the analysis
of implementation, not appropriate, of the current
EU regulation; on export cacaos, present an alternative calculation model and proposals for maximum limits
in unprocessed almonds.
Material
and Methods
In order to demonstrate and quantify the concentrations
of cadmium in cocoa and
cocoa derivatives, samples of
cocoa were collected from three small-scale
cocoa farms that also produce the first by-products of the grain,
as are cocoa masses and chocolates with a high percentage
of cocoa, bitter chocolate
(60 and 70 %). All materials met the following protocol were processed for Cd
analyses, from three (3) small cocoa-producing in the central-eastern (Miranda
State), region of Venezuela.
For the
categorization of total cadmium levels in unprocessed grains and compare using
Regulation 488/2014 furthermore is questionable (Pastor, 2017; Meter et al., 2019), in the present study,
fruits and products from the same batch of seeds were compared to analyze the
concentration of Cd. It was analyzed in the husks of the seeds, in the bare
seed, in the paste or liqueur, first product of the cocoa bean, and in the dark
chocolate to 60 and 70 %. Each fraction of material: shell, endocarp or
cotyledons, paste and chocolate, was digested cold and hot following the
analytical route:
1) Dehydrated
material (lyophilized) approx. 0.5 g dry weight addition of 5 ml HNO3 (nitric acid) pre-digestion at room
temperature for 12 h.
2) Subsequent addition of 3 ml H2O2
(hydrogen peroxide), 6 h.
3) Addition of 3 ml
HClO4 (perchloric acid) and heating to 70 degrees for 1 hour, then
up to 150 degrees 1 hour.
4) Subsequently and
in cold, it was brought to a final volume of 50 ml with deionized water for
analysis.
5) Aqueous reference
solutions were prepared by volumetric dilution of concentrated reference
standards (Fisher Scientific Company, USA.) in deionized water.
The standard range
was 1 to 10 mg/L (ppb). The detection limit was calculated from 10 measurements
of the reagent blank processed in the same way as the samples and expressed as
3 times the standard deviation of the measurements. Limit of detection (Ld) is
0.41 μg/L. The limit of quantification (LdQ) was obtained
from the same measurements as the detection limit and was estimated to be 10
times the standard deviation of these LdQ is 1.1 μg/L.
The glass material
was cleaned with HNO3 (1:1), for 24 hours and rinsed with deionized
water in a equipment Atomic Absorption Spectrometer with Electrothermal source
(graphite furnace), model Analytik Jena ZEEnit 700P (Germany).
This work followed
the methodology according to APHA (1992), which is a manual for testing and
analysis of water quality, used globally in laboratories and agencies.
For the use and
modification of calculations in determining the values required by the EU, the
following modifications were made, and so the formula for calculation is:
Where:
LCP = Proposed Cd Limit
LCCB = Cd
Limit in Cocoa Butter
LCTC = Cd
Limit in Cocoa dry mass) (chocolate powder).
FM =
Formula Meter’s et
al., (2019), yields a maximum
limit of 1.14 μg g-1
RP = Cd Reduction reported by Pastor and Gutiérrez (2016).
VG = Variability by genotype, 30 % was eliminated (applying a factor of 0.7 to the content
of Cd in butter and cocoa dry mass).
MCP = Maximum for cocoa powder
according to EU (0.6 μg g-1).
% TA = % of unprocessed almond
dry mass cake 50 % (factor 0,5).
As an example, dark
chocolate with 70 % cocoa mass (0.8 μg g-1),
used and calculated in the formula Meter et
al. (2019):
The results obtained in the samples analyzed in
this study are shown below.
Results and Discussion
A large proportion
of the cocoa produced in Latin America is from small farmers whose livelihoods
are particularly vulnerable to new regulations. Many are involved in the
production of fine aroma cocoa, which is commonly used for products with high
cocoa content and single origin products. This production is mainly destined
for Europe, the first market. Therefore, short- medium- and long-term solutions
are needed to mitigate the problem of high cadmium concentrations in cocoa
almonds.
Cadmium is absorbed
from the soil by plant roots, and air pollution. The
presence of Cd in soil is a result
of a combination of natural and anthropogenic processes. Natural processes include rock weathering, volcanic activity, forest fires, erosion
and river sediment deposition, while anthropogenic processes include mining and industrial activities, as well as irrigation and fertilization practices, proximity to roads and roads
with pollution from vehicle wear
and fuels. All these factors are likely to contribute
to the increase
in cadmium content. Although higher concentrations of cadmium in soil may lead to a greater
potential for cadmium uptake by the roots
of cocoa plants, it should be noted
that not all Cd in soil may be available to the plant
(Ramírez, 2022). High concentrations of cadmium found
in cocoa beans come from plants growing on soils with
a relatively low total cadmium content. The bioavailability of cadmium to plants
is influenced by a variety of
soil properties: pH, organic matter content, soil texture
and mineralogy, cation exchange capacity, electrical conductivity, macro
and micro nutrient content
and presence of micro-organisms. Alteration of some of
these properties may reduce or induce the bioavailability of cadmium in cocoa plants (Ramírez, 2022). Several factors can affect the process of
cadmium absorption and distribution in cocoa plants, such as tree age
or plant nutrition. Particularly interesting is the variability in cadmium absorption across different cocoa genotypes, which opens up the possibility of identifying low accumulation varieties of cocoa (Elmatsani et al., 2024; Pastor and Gutiérrez,
2016; Pastor, 2017).
Finding alternatives to
mitigate high concentrations of Cd in crops, selecting varieties with lower bioaccumulation, appropriate soils and appropriate management practices can result in the reduction of
cadmium concentration in
cocoa beans and therefore,
in chocolate, considering actions
from the crop itself to
the final marketable product, reaching the specific conditions
of the cocoa value chain, which
favors both the producer and the consumer. Some conditions include: 1) avoid nearby areas
of high risk
of accumulation of heavy metals for establishment of plantations, 2) seek varieties whose natural concentration is lower (Elmatsani et al.,
2024), 3) proper management
of agricultural practices, particularly with irrigation waters, fertilization and fumigation with phosphorous products, 4) reducing cadmium levels through post-harvest processing.
Relative mobility of trace elements in soils is of
paramount importance in terms of their
availability and potential to leach from
soil profiles into groundwater and differs depending on natural or anthropic
origin (Burt et
al., 2003; He et al., 2015). Due to the potential
direct toxicity on biota and indirect threat to human health from ground
water contamination and accumulation in crops, there is a widespread
interest in the fate of heavy metals in contaminated soils, with heavy metal-combination amendments being used to immobilize
or dissolve them. Heavy metals can follow different pathways: 1) they are retained in the soil, either dissolved
in the water phase of the
soil, occupying exchange sites or 2) they are adsorbed on inorganic constituents of the soil,
associated with soil organic matter
or 3) precipitated as pure or mixed solids.
It is known
from the physic-chemical base that metals precipitate as a result of changes
in pH, oxidation and other changes in their chemical composition (Martínez
and Motto, 2000). They can be absorbed by plants and thus enter the food
chain, pass in to the atmosphere
through volatilization and/or move between
surface water and groundwater.
An important factor governing the mobility, toxicity
and bioavailability of
heavy metals is their speciation i.e. state, phases or chemical
forms in which a given element is
found in soil. The European Union’s Community Bureau of Reference
(BCR) defines soil and sediment
chemical speciation analysis as the process of identifying
and quantifying the different species, defined forms or
phases in which an element exists
in the material (Ure et al., 1993; Vanderschueren et al., 2021).
The current EU regulation by the
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was developed by the
Scientific Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM). EFSA considered
it necessary to further amend
the maximum levels for certain
contaminants such as Cd, as
set out in Regulation
1881/2006, incorporating new information
and developments from the Codex Alimentarius (EU, 2014; Zug et al., 2019). The current EU regulation is based
on three main aspects:
1. Dietary exposure;
CONTAM conducted weekly
tolerable in take studies
and determined the average dietary exposure of Cd in European countries at 2.5 μg/kg bodyweight (EU, 2014; Abt and Robin, 2020). 2. Per capita consumption; high consumption of cocoa products can raise levels of
cadmium in the body; and in the case of the European
community, per capita consumption is three times higher than in Latin American countries. 3. ALARA principle,
"As Low as Reasonably Achievable"
which means as low as reasonably achievable or possible
(EU, 2014).
For EFSA it is reasonable that
the reduction of exposure to
vulnerable consumers could
be achieved by setting a maximum content for cocoa derivatives. Thus, on 12 May
2014, the Regulation 488/2014 amending Regulation 1881/2006 was approved (Table
1), adding cocoa derivatives to the list of controlled products (EU, 2014;
Gramlich et al., 2018, Argüello et al., 2019; Barraza et al., 2019, Zug et al., 2019; Abt and Robin, 2020).
As mentioned above this regulation
assigns a high value to chocolates with total dry matter percentage 50 %, establishes tolerable limits for Cd at final consumption, but uses arguments from the Environmental
Quality Standards (EQS) and
is inconsistent in setting similar values for foods which
are very different in origin and representativeness in the total dietary exposure of consumers
to cadmium. It also provides
values with too much and too
little scientific basis which could become
obstacles to the production process and would constitute a technical barrier to trade
by confusing the tolerable limits, in derived or processed
products for the marketing of cocoa beans (Pastor, 2017; Intriago et al., 2019).
As the afore mentioned EU standard (Table 1) is
not applicable to unprocessed whole grains, although
as already explained most authors note that their found
values exceed the EU set which sets a maximum of 0.8 μg g-1,
so it is tacitly understood that this limit
is being used to classify
the levels found. One of
the proposals for Cd levels in grains has been established by Meter et al., (2019), these
authors apply a proportionality ratio to the limits set in the EU Regulation and calculate a maximum limit value for
Cd in raw dry grains, since the raw mass
contains a similar amount of Cd as the original grains.
This proposal assumes the following concepts:
·
Regulation 488/2014 is for processed products.
·
The concentration of Cd in mass is
similar to cocoa liquor (first derivative of processing).
·
The mass % in cocoa
is known.
·
Butter contains minimum levels of Cd (criterion not
applied in its formula).
·
Proportionality.
The calculation formula is:
Where:
MLCM = Maximum level of Cd in cocoa mass (μg g-1)
MLEUP = EU maximum
level in final product (μg
g-1)
X % P = Percentage
of mass in finished product.
The example of dark chocolate with 70 % mass (dry cocoa solids), which according to the EU sets 0.8 μg g-1 of Cd in the finished
product, so the maximum level of
Cd will be:
It can be seen that
the EU maximum levels apply to finished products and not to raw materials. The
equation estimates a maximum mass level of Cd at 1.14 μg g-1 which will ensure that the final
product remains below the EU threshold.
This proposal is
based on the calculations of Meter et al., (2019) and Florida-Rofner
(2021), the conclusions of Pastor and Gutierrez (2016) and Pastor (2017) and
the general concepts of the average bromatological composition of chocolate and
unprocessed grains; The proposal there for assumes the following concepts:
·
Chemically cocoa consists of: 53.05 % cocoa factor
butter used for chocolate and the difference is cocoa dry mass (cake) used for
sweetened cocoa powder to and takes the factor of 0.5 (% TA).
·
Bitter chocolates contain
cocoa butter and on average do not exceed 50 % (Sánchez et
al., 2016).
·
In 70 % cocoa butter
chocolate, the Cd content is reduced to
less than half in the processing
of chocolate compared to grain, so a factor of 0.5 (RP) is applied Pastor and Gutiérrez, (2016) and this work.
·
The butter contains minimum levels of Cd (Meter et al., 2019), an
aspect that was not considered
in its formula and confirms
what is pointed
out by Pastor and Gutiérrez
(2016).
·
Almonds bioaccumulate cadmium in concentrations varying according to the cocoa genotype
(Lanza et al., 2016), with a variation of approximately 30 %, which should be eliminated by applying
a factor of 0.7 (VG) to partial results for cocoa butter and mass cake.
·
Unpeeled cocoa beans, in one of the
process steps, husking, causes the metal content to decrease
(Kruszewski and Obiedzinski, 2018a, b, and this work (Table 2).
The primary processing products of the grains
are approximately 50 % cocoa cake or
mass used for sweetened drinking
chocolate powder with an EU tolerable limit of 0.6 μg g-1 and cocoa butter
in similar proportions to
50 %, used for chocolates with a maximum level of 0.8 μg g-1
(Sánchez et al., 2016).
The results obtained in the Cd analyses for this
study are shown below (Table 2),
on selected samples from three
(3) farms, where the four (4) different
fractions of cocoa were analyzed from
the same batch of seeds
before secondary products were processed.
Considering the results
of the analyses,
it can be observed that the greatest
concentration of Cd occurs in the skin or shell Table 2, similar results as found by Kruszewski et al.,
2018b).
The proposal suggests that butter (Ecuation
2) and cocoa mass or paste
(Ecuation 3) should be calculated separately, and in both cases genotype variation should be incorporated to reduce this partial result
by 30 % by applying a factor of 0.7; finally, it must
be averaged to obtain a maximum limit (Ecuation 1).
The proposed equation estimates a maximum level of
Cd in unprocessed grains of 1.22 μg g-1 (Ecuation
6) ensuring that the finished processed
product is below the EU limit
(0.8 μg g-1).
Relative mobility of trace elements in soils is of
paramount importance in terms of their
availability and potential to leach from
soil profiles into groundwater and differs whether they are of natural or anthropic origin,
The toxicity of metals depend not
only on their
concentration but also on their
mobility and reactivity with other components
of the ecosystem
(Abollino et
al., 2002, He et al., 2015). It is therefore
important to reduce by a factor of 20 % for Cd and Hg which have the highest
rate of bioaccumulation.
This present
proposal suggests that the formula postulated by Florida-Rofner (2021), average
to obtain a maximum limit (Ecuation 1) the bio-geo-movibility factor for heavy
metals should be subtracted from a factor of 0.20 to have a balance of all
factors that act on the biogenesis of cadmium, so the formula would be:
Where:
LCP = proposed Cd limit
LCCB = proposed Cd limit in cocoa butter
LCTC = Cd limit in cocoa dry mass (chocolate powder)
Fbgm = bio-geo mobility factor
(0.20 for Cd)
Dark chocolate with
70 % cocoa dry mass (0,8 μg
g-1) is used as an example, used
and calculated in the
formula Meter et al. (2019) and
Florida-Rofner (2021)
The proposed equation estimates a maximum level of
Cd in unprocessed grains of 1,02 μg g-1 (Formula 8) ensuring
that the finished processed product is below
the EU limit (0.8 μg g-1),
being in accordance with some regulations
such as indonesia which indicates that the cadmium limit
in raw grain should be 1.00
μg g-1. Kruszewski, Obiedziński, and
Kowalska (2018b) investigated heavy metals (Nickel, Cadmium, Lead) in
raw cocoa and chocolate products from
different manufacturers, finding variable reductions during processing (10.5-33 % Cd).
Similar differences were found in this study
with Cd, where the metal tends to accumulate more in shell (Table 2). Low Cd uptake
cocoa clones and site-specific research
are therefore highly justified, as well as the environment and selected cocoa cultivars since they influence
the bioconcentration of Cd in the beans.
Conclusions
The lack of maximum limits
for unprocessed cocoa is perceived as a threat to the
sustainability of cocoa production and has been causing some confusion
and speculation. These are confusion in the scientific community when classifying unprocessed cocoa, applying the limits of
the European standard for processed cocoa, a huge concern to
the cocoa sector throughout
our region of Latin America, and market distortions when negotiating, since the producer
is hardly in a position to dispute them and buyers prefer low
Cd contents to guarantee their use in any recipe, with
the consequent negative effect on the
price received for grain. It
has been shown that there is
discrimination in the accumulation of metals, and the concentration in bare grain is much
lower. It is also possible
to consider the genetics of
the variety harvested and the origin of the
soil that supports them. Therefore, the
calculations cannot be made considering a seed (or grain) with its cover and
the genotype.
Acknowledgements
The authors want to thank all the people, that
collaborated directly and indirectly in the realization of this research: Cacao
Lanaseso, producer Serafín Álvarez, Hacienda La Ribereña, Caserío El Guamal. El
Guapo, edo. Miranda; Cacao Los Acosta, producer
Alexander Acosta, Hacienda Los Acosta. El Guapo, edo. Miranda; Cacao Hermanos
Landaeta, producer Víctor Linares, Hacienda Hermanos
Landaeta. El Guapo, edo. Miranda, Venezuela.
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List of abreviations
Cd = Cadmium
MLCM = Maximum level
of Cd in cocoa mass (μg g-1).
MLEUP = EU maximum
level in final product (μg g-1).
X % P = Percentage
of mass in finished product.
LCP = Proposed Cd
Limit.
LCCB = Cd Limit in
Cocoa Butter.
LCTC = Cd Limit in
Cocoa dry mass) (chocolate powder).
FM = Meter’s
Formula et al., (2019), yields a maximum limit of 1.14 μg g-1
RP = Cd Reduction reported by Pastor and Gutierrez (2016).
VG = Variability by
genotype, 30 % was eliminated (applying a factor of 0,7 to the
content of Cd in butter and cocoa dry mass).
MCP = Maximum for
cocoa powder according to EU (0.6 μg g-1).
% TA = % of unprocessed almond dry mass cake 50 % (factor 0.5).
Editor
asociado: Dr. Nicolino
Antonio Bracho Pirela
Facultad de Ing. Escuela de Ing. Química.
Dpto. de Hidrocarburos. Universidad del Zulia-Venezuela.
nicolino.bracho@fing.luz.edu.ve
REVISTA TECNICA
DE LA
FACULTAD DE
INGENIERIA
UNIVERSIDAD
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ZULIA
Volumen 49. Año 2026, Edición continua
Esta
revista fue editada en formato digital y publicada en abril 2026, por el Fondo Editorial Serbiluz, Universidad del
Zulia. Maracaibo-Venezuela
www.luz.edu.ve www.serbi.luz.edu.ve www.produccioncientificaluz.org