Food Safety and Regulatory Measures

Biography

Biography: Gideon Ramtahal

Abstract

Within recent years, continued export of Trinidad and Tobago’s fine or flavour cocoa beans may be affected by increasingly stringent international regulations; governing its safety with contaminants such as cadmium. A preliminary survey of cadmium in cocoa tissues including cocoa beans and soil from Trinidad and Tobago has been completed. This study has confirmed that beans from some areas failed to meet proposed standards for cadmium. Significant correlations of cadmium concentration between cocoa beans, other cocoa tissues and soil were observed, with some findings having implications for food safety assessments. Additionally, several possible sources of cadmium contamination of local cocoa beans have been identified. Subsequent treatment methods needed to minimize cadmium uptake and accumulation in cocoa beans were applied and evaluated with promising results.