SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY WITH DISPERSIVE ENERGY SPECTROSCOPY - SEM / EDS - FOR ANALYSIS OF SURFACE CONTAMINATION OF CANDIES BY PACKAGING WASTE INK

Candies are foods made from sugar mixture with other ingredients like dyes, flavors, acidulants and anti-wettings agents, with a large variety of filling, coverage, shape, aroma, color and consistency. Its consumption is more prevalent in children but also occurs in all age groups, and social classes. Recently, it has been observed in some candies that during the removal of the plastic packaging, the ink coming from it, adhere to the surface of the product. These ink wastes are difficult to remove, and so are usually ingested along with the candy by most consumers. The present work aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of these ink fragments by scanning electron microscopy with dispersive energy spectroscopy, a technique that allows the precise identification of the chemical composition of a solid material. Samples of candies were obtained from local shops in the cities of Angatuba (SP), Juiz de Fora (MG) and Rio de Janeiro (RJ), packed in plastic bags, hermetically sealed and kept at room temperature until analysis were performed. Preliminary results revealed the presence of calcium, barium, potassium, fluorine and ruthenium, in varying amounts, and the presence of chemical elements of toxicological importance such as silicon, aluminum and titanium. Titanium contents higher than 900 photons/second and aluminum above 500 photons/second were observed in three of the evaluated samples. This high amount of these metals may be due to high temperatures during transport and/or storage, as well as dryness caused by paint aging, mechanical shock and friction between candies. The impact of ingestion of these chemicals on the health of consumers, especially children, exposes the need for more quality control by the food industry in order to avoid the presence of these residues in the candies.