Hungary spices up PANalytical
Hungarian paprika is widely considered to be the best in the world of the various powders made from ground sweet red pepper pods. In Hungary paprika powder is bought by colour and smell: the most expensive is a golden colour, whereas cheaper types appear brown. Following an incident in 1994 when a number of people suffered from lead poisoning after an unscrupulous dealer used red oxide of lead to give cheaper paprika a golden colour, the Hungarian government has imposed strict controls on the export of paprika to ensure that contaminated spices do not enter the
market. The General Inspectorate for Consumer Protection now carries out regular monitoring using the latest analytical techniques, and is using PANalytical's X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to provide a quick and accurate means of determining illegal lead additives in paprika, as well as distinguishing between normal red pigments which are added legally to improve the colour.
Extract from an article by Dr Zs. Hartyáni, University of Veszprém, Hungary.