Naturally occurring benzoic,sorbic, and propionic acid in vegetables

ABSTRACT

Benzoic, sorbic and propionic acid are used as preservatives in foods and can also be naturally present in processed foods. The levels of preservatives in 939 vegetables were determined. Benzoic and sorbic acid were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector and further confirmed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, whereas propionic acid was analysed using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector and further confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Benzoic and propionic acid were found in 10.9% and 36.2%, respectively, of the samples. In contrast, sorbic acid was not found in any of the samples. The highest amounts of benzoic and propionic acid were found in perilla leaves (0.33?298 mg kg^–1) and ginseng (<LOD?32.8 mg kg^–1), respectively. The background concentration ranges of naturally occurring preservatives in vegetables determined in this study could be used for inspection services of standard criteria to address consumer complaints or trade disputes.     

Estimated intake of benzoic and sorbic acids in Denmark

The monitoring of food additives and recent dietary surveys carried out in Denmark have earlier been used to estimate the intake of sweeteners and nitrite in relation to acceptable daily intakes. The ubiquitous use of the preservatives benzoic and sorbic acids raises the question of the magnitude of the intake of these preservatives in relation to acceptable daily intakes. This area is explored in this paper. The content of benzoic and sorbic acids in all food groups, where they are allowed, was monitored in Denmark 17 times between 2001 and 2006 with a total of 1526 samples. Transgressions of maximum limits, illegal use or declaration faults were found in about 3% of samples. From repeated investigations on fat-based foods (salads and dressings), marmalade and stewed fruit, it is concluded that the amounts used in industry have been relatively stable throughout the whole period, although limited data for marmalade show some variation. Most foods in the categories soft drinks, dressings, fat-based salads, pickled herrings, and marmalade contain benzoic and sorbic acid, and sliced bread also contains in some cases sorbic acid. The median daily intake and intake distribution of benzoic and sorbic acids were calculated with data from the Danish National Survey of Dietary Habits and Physical Activity (age from 4 to 75 years) conducted in 2000–2004 with 5785 participants. The median intakes of both benzoic acid and sorbic acid are well below the acceptable daily intakes of 0–5 and 0–25 mg kg^?1 body weight (bw) day^?1 for benzoic and sorbic acid, respectively. However, the 90th percentile based on the average of the samples with a content of benzoic acid is higher than the acceptable daily intake for both men and women, with the highest value of 16 mg kg^?1 bw day^?1 for both boys and girls in the 4–6-year-old age group. Based on the average of all samples, the 95th percentile is over the acceptable daily intake for men up to 34 years and for women up to 24 years, and the 90th percentile for men up to 18 years and for women up to 10 years. Soft drinks, salads and dressings are the main contributors to benzoic acid intake. The sorbic acid intake based on the average of all samples is well below the acceptable daily intake. However, for the intake based on the average of samples with content, the 95th percentile exceeds the acceptable daily intake. This is caused by the dominating contribution to the intake of sorbic acid from sliced bread, but since only seven out of 42 samples have added sorbic acid, the calculation based on the average of samples with content will exaggerate the intake. With a built-in safety factor of 100 in the acceptable daily intakes and judging from the literature, the high intakes of benzoic acid should not cause any concern for ill-effects. However, there must be a reason to reconsider the maximum limits especially for benzoic acid in soft drinks, dressings and salads and for sorbic acid in sliced bread.     

Optimized Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction and Determination of Sorbic Acid and Benzoic Acid in Beverage Samples by Gas Chromatography

A new rapid method for direct determination of trace levels of sorbic and benzoic acids was developed by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. In the proposed approach, the separation procedure of sorbic and benzoic acids was performed on a general chromatographic column without any prior derivatization processes. Some effective parameters on the microextraction recovery were studied and optimized utilizing multilevel factorial and central composite experimental designs. The best concurrent extraction efficiency acquired using ethanol and chloroform as dispersive and extraction solvents. Central composite design (CCD) resulted in the optimized values of microextraction parameters as follows: 1.0 mL of dispersive and 0.1 mL of extraction solvents, ionic salt concentration of 50 g?L^?1 at pH 4. Under optimum conditions, the calibration curve was linear over the range 0.5–20 mg L^?1. Relative standard deviation was 11% and 13% for five repeated determinations for sorbic and benzoic acids, respectively. Limits of detection were acquired as 0.2 mg L^?1 for sorbic acid and 0.5 mg L^?1 for benzoic acid. The average recoveries were 31% and 39% for sorbic and benzoic acids, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the determination of sorbic and benzoic acids as preservatives in beverage samples.     

Modelling the inhibition of sorbic and benzoic acids on a native yeast cocktail from table olives

The single and combined effects, in a synthetic medium at selected pH values, of sorbic and benzoic acids on a yeast cocktail (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia anomala, Issatchenkia occidentalis, and Candida diddensiae, isolated from table olives) have been studied. Applying the checkerboard method the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) obtained for the respective individual preservatives (expressed as undissociated acid) were: sorbic acid, 5.94, 3.85 and 3.19 mM at pH of 4.5, 4.0, and 3.5, respectively; and benzoic acid, not detected (at total 20.5 mM), 10.40 and 6.83 mM, respectively, for the same pH levels. The estimated fractional inhibitory concentrations (FIC) indexes showed additive effects between inhibitors. Fractional area (fa), modelled by the (extended) Lambert and Lambert [2003. A model for the efficacy of combined inhibitors. J. Appl. Microbiol. 95, 734-743] equation (ELPM), also showed additives of both preservatives but different shapes in the dose-response curves; the individual MIC (as undissociated acid) deduced from this method were: 5.60, 3.31, and 3.26 mM for sorbic acid at pH of 4.5, 4.0, and 3.5, respectively; and 29.65 (extrapolated), 10.00, and 6.25 mM for benzoic acid at the same pH levels. Mixtures above the curves connecting the limits (MIC) at each pH were also inhibitory. There was agreement between MIC values from FIC and ELPM, although the last one provided further information on the inhibition behaviour. I. occidentalis was the most resistant yeast of the cocktail to sorbic and benzoic acids.     

Benzoic and sorbic acid in soft drink,milk, ketchup sauce and bread by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled with HPLC

Benzoic acid and sorbic acid are widely used for food preservation. These preservatives are generally recognised as safe. The aim of this study was to determine the level of benzoic and sorbic acid in food samples that are usually consumed in Iran. Therefore, 54 samples, including 15 soft drinks, 15 ultra-high-temperature milk, 15 ketchup sauces and 9 bread samples, were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. Benzoic acid was detected in 50 (92.5%) of the samples ranging from 3.5 to 1520 µg mL^?1, while sorbic acid was detected in 29 (50.3%) samples in a range of 0.8 and 2305 µg mL^?1. Limits of detection and limits of quantification for benzoate were found to be 0.1 and 0.5 µg mL^?1, respectively, and for sorbate 0.08 and 0.3 µg mL^?1, respectively. The results showed that benzoic acid and sorbic acid widely occur in food products in Iran.     

毛细柱气相色谱法测定饮料中的山梨酸、苯甲酸

探讨了采用毛细柱气相色谱法测定饮料中作为防腐剂的山梨酸、苯甲酸，此方法可使各组分得到良好分离，分析时间短，准确度高，山梨酸、苯甲酸测定的检出限为0．1mg／kg，相对标准偏差小于3％，样品加标回收率为89％～99％。     

Absorption of benzoic and sorbic acids by herring and prawns in marinades

The preservatives benzoic acid and sorbic acid are rapidly removed from marinades in which they are incorporated to the flesh of herring and prawn. Allowing for the water content of each species and the fish/marinade ratio, concentrations of both acids in the fish are markedly in excess of that predicted from a simple equilibrium.     

Efficacy of propionates and benzoates on the control of growth of Eurotium species in bakery products with near neutral pH

The effects of propionic acid, sodium propionate and benzoic acid on growth of various Eurotium isolates when added to a bakery product analogue were tested under various environmental conditions. The water activity of the products was adjusted to values in the range of 0.75–0.90 a_w, and storage temperatures were in the range of 15–30 °C. Propionates were added in concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 5 g kg^?1, while benzoic acid was added in the range of 0.25–1 g kg^?1. It was observed that 0.25 and 0.5 g kg^?1 concentrations sometimes enhanced isolate growth. When using sodium propionate, the highest concentration, 5 g kg^?1, completely inhibited growth under all conditions except for 0.85–0.90 a_w at 25–30 °C, while propionic acid completely prevented fungal spoilage regardless of the abiotic conditions assayed. On the other hand, benzoic acid at a given concentration had a wider effectiveness, thus used at 1 g kg^?1 concentration prevented growth under all conditions except for 0.90 a_w and 25–30 °C. It was concluded that trying to reduce the applied concentrations of these weak acid preservatives would be counterproductive and that, except for propionic acid, even at the higher permitted concentrations their use is not suitable for these near neutral pH products when their water activity is high (0.90 a_w). Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

广西部分食品中防腐剂检测结果分析

目的了解广西部分食品中防腐剂使用情况。方法从8类场所随机抽取14类食品样品,按照相应标准检测7种食品防腐剂,对检测结果进行分析。结果共检测2386批次食品样品,防腐剂不合格样品9批次,不合格率为0.38%;脱氢乙酸及其钠盐、山梨酸及其钾盐检出率较高,分别为35.07%、21.17%,山梨酸及其钾盐不合格率最高,为0.21%。山梨酸及其钾盐、苯甲酸及其钠盐、乙二胺四乙酸二钠等3种防腐剂在预包装食品中的检出率高于散装食品,脱氢乙酸及其钠盐和丙酸及其钠盐、钙盐在散装食品中检出率高于预包装食品。蔬菜制品复合使用防腐剂样品占其抽检样品量的58.82%,其次是焙烤食品,占比为32.37%。结论广西企业生产的部分食品中防腐剂使用基本符合GB2760-2014《食品安全国家标准食品添加剂使用标准》要求,少量食品存在超范围超限量添加防腐剂问题,部分食品复合使用两种以上防腐剂。     

Estimation of preservative concentrations in foods and their daily intake based on official inspection results in Japan in fiscal year 1998

The mean concentration and daily intake of five preservatives were estimated based on the results of an analysis of 89,927 samples of food obtained in official inspections by Japanese local governments in fiscal year 1998. The mean concentration of benzoic acid was 9.5% of the allowable limit, and those of dehydroacetic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, propionic acid, and sorbic acid were 1.5%, 5.7%, 1.7%, and 23.9%, respectively. Daily intake levels of these preservatives per person estimated from the concentration and daily consumption of foods were 6.23 mg, 0.0303 mg, 1.02 mg, 8.10 mg, and 25.0 mg, respectively, and assuming a body weight of 50 kg, the amounts of benzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and sorbic acid consumed were 2.5%, 0.2%, and 2.0% of their acceptable daily intakes, respectively. These values were similar to those obtained based on the results of the official inspections in fiscal years 1994 and 1996.     

2013~2014年辽宁省动物性水产干制品中山梨酸及苯甲酸的风险监测结果分析

目的 了解2013-2014年辽宁省动物性水产干制品中山梨酸与苯甲酸的使用情况,为食品安全监管提供数据支持,促进食品添加剂的合理使用。方法 从农贸市场、餐饮企业、大型综合超市等58个报验单位抽取了152批动物性水产干制品,产品类型主要为：鱿鱼丝、烤鱼片及各类鱼干等,依据GB/T23495-2009《食品中苯甲酸、山梨酸和糖精钠的测定 高效液相色谱法》对样品中的苯甲酸及山梨酸含量进行检测分析。结果 152批次产品中山梨酸检出率为28.9%,其中有一批超出限量320%;苯甲酸检出率为9.87%。结论 部分预包装动物性水产干制品中存在山梨酸超限量使用的情况,而散装动物性水产干制品中存在违规使用苯甲酸的情况,应加强对山梨酸及苯甲酸的使用量及使用范围的监督和管理。     

Exposure assessment of food preservatives (sulphites,benzoic and sorbic acid) in Austria

An exposure assessment was performed to estimate the potential intake of preservatives in the Austrian population. Food consumption data of different population groups, such as preschool children aged 3–6 years, female and male adults aged 19–65 years were used for calculation. Levels of the preservatives in food were derived from analyses conducted from January 2007 to August 2010. Dietary intakes of the preservatives were estimated and compared to the respective acceptable daily intakes (ADIs). In the average-intake scenario, assuming that consumers randomly consume food products that do or do not contain food additives, estimated dietary intakes of all studied preservatives are well below the ADI for all population groups. Sulphite exposure accounted for 34%, 84% and 89% of the ADI in preschool children, females and males, respectively. The mean estimated daily intake of benzoic acid was 32% (preschool children), 31% (males) and 36% (females) of the ADI. Sorbic acid intakes correspond to 7% of the ADI in preschool children and 6% of the ADI in adults. In the high-intake scenario assuming that consumers always consume food products that contain additives and considering a kind of brand loyalty of consumers, the ADI is exceeded for sulphites among adults (119 and 124%, respectively). Major contributors to the total intake of sulphites were wine and dried fruits for adults. Mean estimated dietary intakes of benzoic acid exceeded the ADI in all population groups, 135% in preschool children, 124% in females and 118% of the ADI in males, respectively. Dietary intakes of sorbic acid are well below the ADI, accounting for a maximum of 30% of the ADI in preschool children. The highest contributors to benzoic and sorbic acid exposure were fish and fish products mainly caused by high consumption data of this large food group, including also mayonnaise-containing fish salads. Other important sources of sorbic acid were bread, buns and toast bread and fruit and vegetable juices.     

Inhibition of microbial growth at different pH levels by benzoic and propionic acids and esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid

The minimum growth inhibitory concentration of benzoic and propionic acids and esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (parabens) has been determined for Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. For benzoic and propionic acid, the inhibition was shown to be due to both undissociated and dissociated acid, and the effect of each has been calculated in accordance with a proposed mathematical model which has earlier been applied to sorbic acid. Parabens showed some pH dependence for the action on bacteria, but not on yeast. This pH dependence was unrelated to dissociation.     

Simultaneous determination of benzoic and sorbic acids in quince jam by HPLC

An isocratic HPLC technique is described for the determination of benzoic acid and sorbic acid in industrial quince jam. The preparation procedure was optimized. Precipitation of proteins and fat by the addition of methanol, followed by centrifugation and/or filtration provided an extract suitable for chromatographic analysis. The chromatographic separation was achieved with a C18 column and acetate buffer (pH=4.4) - methanol (65:35) as the mobile phase. The effluent was monitored at 235 nm. Effective separation and quantification was achieved in less than 7 min. Specificity of the method was checked against common food additives added to industrial quince jam, such as l-ascorbic acid and citric acid. Diode array detection was used for confirmation of the preservatives. Mean recoveries of 95–104% were obtained with a precision less than 2.6%, detection limits of 25 and 6.25 mg/kg were obtained for benzoic and sorbic acids, respectively. Results were in good agreement with the reference methods. The presence of benzoic and sorbic acids in quince jams available on the Portuguese market, was also determined. Eleven commercial brands of quince jam were analysed. All contained benzoic acid. The concentration ranged from 413.9±10.4 to 1501±4.2 mg of benzoic acid/kg of quince jam. Only two brands also contained sorbic acid. The concentrations were 515.0±7.0 and 908.3±5.3 mg of sorbic acid/kg of quince jam.     

DETERMINATION OF BENZOIC AND SORBIC ACID IN TURKISH FOOD USING HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

Benzoic and sorbic acid levels in different brands of jam, candied chestnut, carbonated drink, pickle, black table olive, green table olive, wholemeal/brown bread and white bread, which are available on the Turkish market, were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (235–254 nm). Chromatographic separation was achieved with a C18 column and acetate buffer (pH 4.74)–methanol mixture (70:30) as a mobile phase. The levels of benzoic and sorbic acid in the analyzed samples were in the range of not detected to 662 mg/kg or L, and not detected to 432 mg/kg or L, respectively. Only one sample (jam) presented a preservative although not permitted by the legislation enforced in Turkey. The levels of preservative in the other samples were determined in legal limitations. According to the results, the utilization of benzoic and sorbic acid is lower than the certain legal limitations permitted by legislation to be used.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The amount of the sorbic and benzoic acid used as preservatives during food processing is important for consumer health. Determination of the amounts of the preservatives mentioned above will be possible in a short period of time (11 min) with the methods used in this study (high-performance liquid chromatography). According to the results obtained from study and data about food consumption, daily intake amount of these preservatives (benzoic and sorbic acid) will be able to be defined in Turkey, separately.     

Spectrophotometric estimation of benzoic and sorbic acids.

A spectrophotometric method is described for estimations of benzoic and sorbic acids in materials with background absorption in the ultraviolet region. The estimation can be done when both preservatives are present in equal or nonequal ratios. The coefficients of variation (average standard deviation) are 0.23–1.98% for benzoic acid and 0.40–1.58% for sorbic acid. The recovery factors are 95.5–103% for benzoic acid and 81.5–89% for sorbic acid.     

高效液相色谱法同时测定水产加工品中的山梨酸、苯甲酸、糖精钠

采用高效液相色谱法同时测定水产品中的山梨酸、苯甲酸、糖精钠,实验采用铁氰化钾和乙酸锌作沉淀剂,取得了良好的净化效果。拥有较好的线性关系,最低检出限都为0.5mg/kg,平均回收率为92.7%～106.5%。     

气相色谱内标法测定食品中防腐剂脱氢乙酸、苯甲酸和山梨酸

选用正十一烷酸为内标,采用毛细管气相色谱内标法测定食品中防腐剂脱氢乙酸、苯甲酸和山梨酸,样品回收率均在96％～104％之间,标准线性关系良好,样品测定的变异系数小,脱氢乙酸为0.71％,苯甲酸为0.82％和山梨酸为0.62％;本方法具有简便、快速、准确的特点。     

The simultaneous separation and determination of five organic acids in food by capillary electrophoresis

The simultaneous separation of quinic acid, anisic acid, salicylic acid, benzoic acid and sorbic acid was performed by capillary electrophoresis with 20 mmol L⁻¹ NaOH–20 mmol L⁻¹ H₃BO₃ (pH 8.8) as the background electrolyte. The choices of the background electrolytes and the applied voltage were optimized. The effects of tetrabutylammonium bromide and sodium dodecylsulfate on the separation were investigated in detail. Under the optimum condition, the linearity, reproducibility and detection limit of five organic acids were shown, respectively. As an application of the method proposed, 10 samples of soy sauce and vinegar were analysed to determine benzoic acid and sorbic acid. The procedure described provides the advantages of good selectivity, rapid speed and simplicity for the separation and determination of organic acids.