Metal contaminants in cinnamon samples marketed in Portugal

Poster presented at the ICFC 2015 - International Conference on Food Contaminants. Infarmed, Lisbon, 14-15 April 2015

"Cinnamon has long been used by man for medicinal purposes and as a spice in many traditions wordwhile. Regardless of its alleged healing properties, spices and herbs may be the source of undesirable toxic elements. The presence of metals such as Al, Hg, Cd, Pb, Mn, among others, in food and food supplements, even at restricted values, may cause deleterious effects to human health. Although the consumption of cinnamon and cinnamon-based supplements has increased in the last decades in Portugal, little is known about its elemental composition. Therefore, it is important to investigate the potential presence of toxic elements in those samples, available in the Portuguese market."