title: Source of arsenic in licorice confectionery products.
abstract: Spanish legislation sets a maximum level for total arsenic (As) in confectionery products at 0.1 microg g(-)(1). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration limitations for glycyrrhizic acid in hard and soft candies are 160 and 31 mg g(-)(1), respectively. Arsenic and glycyrrhizic acid were determined in 22 different confectionery products: 9 throat pearls, 4 hard candies, and 9 soft candies. Arsenic and glycyrrhizic acid were quantified by atomic absorption spectrometry with hydride generation and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Levels of glycyrrhizic acid were always below the maximum limits established by the U.S. FDA; however, the As concentration in seven of nine throat pearls (0.55 +/- 0.15 microg g(-)(1)) were above the Spanish maximum limit. A clear empirical relationship between the arsenic and glycyrrhizic acid concentrations was observed (R (2) = 0.9357), implying that to avoid high levels of potentially toxic arsenic in licorice confections high-quality licorice extract should be used.
authors.affiliation: División Tecnología de Alimentos, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Carretera de Beniel, km 3.2, 03312 Orihuela, Alicante, Spain. angel.carbonell@umh.es
authors.forename: Angel Antonio
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Carbonell-Barrachina
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aracil
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Burló
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martínez-Sánchez
mesh_terms: D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D002182:Candy / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006035:Glycyrrhiza / Q000737:chemistry*; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D007881:Legislation, Food; D011786:Quality Control; D013030:Spain; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
chemical_list: D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; D001151:Arsenic