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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Dietary Prevention of Obesity-related Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #87396
Title: COPPER CONTENT OF COMMON AMERICAN FOODS

Author
item MEACHAM, SUSAN - 5450-20-00
item Hunt, Curtiss

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/18/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The 234 most commonly consumed American foods, as determined by the FDA Total Diet Study Program, were analyzed for copper (Cu) content. All foods were purchased in Grand Forks, ND, and prepared for wet weight analysis. Triplicate aliquots (5.0 g wet weight) of each food were placed in Teflon tubes, wet digested in 16M HNO3 and 30%H202, and analyzed by inductively coupled argon plasma spectroscopy. Copper content, reported as ug/g wet weight, varied with liver having the greatest concentration, 93.6; pecans, 11.5; chocolate powder, 7.3; and peanuts, 5.1. The foods contributing the most to Cu intake (ug/d) in 2 yr old toddlers were liver, 68.2; whole milk, 23.7; white bread, 23.6; orange juice, 20.4; and chocolate chip cookies, 18.6. In female adolescents, Cu intake (ug/d) was greatest from liver, 78.7; white bread, 34.1; chili, 22.3; ground beef, 22.1; and whole milk, 21.6. Elderly females consumed (ug/d) the most Cu from liver, 274; while bread, 30.8; coffee, 27.6; orange juice, 18.5; and ground beef, 13.7. A single food, liver, provided 12, 11, and 31% of the total daily Cu intake for toddlers, female adolescents, and elderly females, respectively. Total daily Cu intake by 2 yr toddlers was estimated to be 551 ug, by 14-16 yr female adolescents, 706 ug, and by 60 to 65 yr females, 887 ug. For adults the estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intake (ESADDI) for copper is 1.5 to 3 mg/d as reported in 1989 by the National Research Council. The findings indicate that Cu consumption is 18-60% of the ESADDI which reflects the potential for Cu deficiencies in these populations.