ABSTRACT
Great progress has been made in analytical techniques for trace elements. Neutron-activation analysis, emission spectrometry, and atomic-absorption spectroscopy are the most widely used modern methods for analyzing trace elements in foodstuffs. Many techniques utilizing these basic analytical tools have been created. Variability of trace mineral levels among samples of the same type of food is high. In plants and vegetables this variability is thought to be due to such things as genetics, agricultural practices, variations in the soil content of various elements, soil fertility and pH, and environmental factors and plant maturity. E. Zook and J. Lehman determined the levels of several trace elements in fruits. The elements included aluminum, boron, copper, iron, and manganese. The authors report that cobalt, chromium, zinc, molybdenum, and selenium were not detectable or were below the detectable limits of their spectrographic technique. The loss of minerals due to milling of wheat is the best known processing effect on trace minerals.
