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Abstract
Extensive use of food spices in oriental and Latin American cooking, pharmacy, and perfumery entails the evaluation of trace element contents in them. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was used to determine the concentration of 18 trace elements (essential, toxic and non-essential) in six different spices consumed in Rawalpindi/Islamabad area. Turmeric powder and ginger powder were found to contain relatively high amounts of essential elements and low amounts of toxic elements. The comparison of our values with Canadian and Egyptian data shows variation in trace element contents of red pepper, turmeric, coriander and ginger. The estimated dietary intake through food spices show that these may be considered appreciable sources of trace element intake due to their extensive use. With the present studies the investigation of trace element contents of 13 food spices has been completed.