Fluoride in Chilies from Southwestern China

The purpose of this research is to investigate the fluoride contents in the chilies from southwest China and other countries in order to calculate the difference in fluoride levels in the fresh chilies. The standard method in China for analysis of fluoride in food (GB/T 5009.18-2003) was applied to determinate the fluoride content in chilies. By determining the fluoride content in 176 fresh chili samples from 77 counties in southwest China and 31 chili samples from other countries, the research not only aims to find the regularity of fluoride distribution in fresh chili, but also to determine the origin of fluoride in fresh chili in China compared with the foreign samples. The geometric mean of fluoride content in the fresh chili was 8.9 mg kg(-1) (dry weight, 176 samples, confidence level: 95%). According to the study on the contents of fluoride in fresh chili, it seems that the fluoride content standard for vegetables in GB2762-2005 in China is inappropriate for chili, and 24.7 mg kg(-1)(dry weight) and 5.2 mg kg(-1) (fresh weight) in recommend as the fluoride contaminated discrimination values for fresh chili.