Element

Median
mg/kg

Range
mg/kg

corr with
% cocoa

Honey. median mg/kg

Recommended daily intake
(DACh-values)

Thresholds
mg/kg

% Cocoa

 

20 – 100

X

 

 

 

P

2200

1546 - 4773

0.5923

42.1

800

 

Mg

1205

530 – 2521

0.8559

17.2

300 – 400

 

Ca

1058

518 – 2423

0.4535

44.5

800

 

S

797

523 – 1618

0.6852

n.d.

 

 

Na

194

14.2 – 1281

0.7272

11.3

 

 

Fe

88.1

20.1 – 167

0.6448

0.60

10 – 15

 

Si

45.5

7.0 - 84.8

0.5974

n.d.

 

 

Al

24.8

4.58 - 60.1

0.5998

0.77

 

 

Zn

22.3

10.20 - 52.3

0.8484

0.57

15

 

Mn

12.3

2.73 - 26.2

0.8007

0.66

10 – 30

 

Cu

9.87

3.47 - 31.6

0.8103

0.14

2

50*

B

5.87

1.63 - 13.04

0.8224

5.07

 

 

Sr

4.53

1.63 - 8.19

0.8188

0.059

 

 

Ba

4.17

0.89 - 9.92

0.8284

0.073

 

 

Ni

2.84

0.611 - 8.97

0.7558

0.030

 

 

Cr

0.82

0.145 - 2.272

0.5020

0.007

0.05 - 0.5

 

Co

0.272

0.050 - 0.789

0.7614

0.004

 

 

Mo

0.186

0.091 - 2.126

0.1459

0.003

0.075 - 0.25

 

I

0.161

0.013 - 1.112

0.6771

n.d.

0.15

 

V

0.091

<0.03 – 0.243

0.4156

0.006

 

 

Cd

0.043

0.010 – 0.626

0.3351

0.001

 

0.050**

Pb

0.034

0.012 – 0.395

0.0956

0.011

 

2.0* /0.30**

As

< 0.01

< 0.01 – 0.032

X

n.d.

 

1.0*

Bi

0.006

< 0.001 – 0.091

X

<0.0002

 

 

Be

0.0032

< 0.003 – 0.009

X

<0.0002

 

 

Tl

0.001

< 0.0005 - 0.030

X

0.0004

 

 
n.d. not determined
* limits in Malaysia (citation from 1985) [5].
* * limits in Poland (citation from 2006) [20].
Table 1: Concentration ranges found (95% probability), and relation to cocoa contents and nutritional value, compared with honey after [14] (about equal sample numbers of floral and wood honey)
The elements marked by symbols in italics have been taken from ICP-MS, others from ICP-OES, and arsenic from hydride- AAS
The correlation coefficient given in the first column, equals ±1 for perfect correlation, and 0 for ideal independence; it can be calculate e.g. by EXCEL.