Tace metal contents of some various of cereals

ABSTRACT

New high-yield varieties of wheat barley, rice, maize, bajra [pearl millet] and jawar [sorghum] have been analysed for their trace metal contents. The predominant trace metals were iron, zinc and copper. Cobalt and nickel were present in most of the varieties in less than one ppm. Considerable varietal differences have been found in the trace metal contents. Some varieties of each cereal were consistently rich while some were poor in the trace metals suggesting a genetic control for trace metal labelling in the variety. Wheat, barley and bajra were found to be meeting adequately the daily requirements of these trace metals eaten as staple food but rice, maize and jawar would need supplementation of the diet. Data in general was in agreement with the results cited in the literature