Quantificação de cobre em doces tradicionais da região doceira de Pelotas: contribuição do conhecimento científico para o debate sobre o uso de tacho de cobre na manufatura de doces artesanais

Abstract

The sweets from Pelotas, recognized as Brazilian heritage, preserve ancestral knowledge maintained by female confectioners. The ban on copper pans in production has sparked debate, as these utensils are believed to release excess copper into food. This study quantifies copper in sweets to support discussion on restrictions and gaps between ANVISA (Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency) regulations and scientific evidence. Five traditional sweets from Pelotas were analyzed, and copper concentration ranged from < limits of detection (LOD) of 0.140 to 25.97 mg kg–1. Among them, three had copper levels in sweets below ANVISA limit (10 mg kg–1), while two exceeded it. Even so, the latter concentrations were lower than those limits recommended by ANVISA to other foods such as nuts and coffee. In this context, these results raise questions about the true source of copper in sweets that exceeded the limit, as samples prepared in the same copper pans sometimes showed concentrations below the LOD, while others surpassed legal thresholds. This suggests copper may come from ingredients rather than pans. Thus, copper pans – already legalized for sweet production in states like Minas Gerais – may not be the “villain”, supporting the preservation of traditional sweet-making with appropriate safety measures.