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.     

Determination of Allura red in food samples after cloud point extraction using mixed micelles

A cloud point extraction process using mixed micelles of CTAB, Triton X-114 and Triton X-100 for preconcentration and spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of Allura red in food samples was developed. The effect of different parameters such as concentration of surfactants, electrolyte concentration, temperature and pH on the cloud point extraction of Allura red was studied in detail and a set of optimum conditions were established. A linear calibration curve in the range of 20–1400 μg/L of Allura red was obtained. Detection limit based on 3S_b was 7.8 μg/L and the relative standard deviation for 75 μg/L of Allura red was 3.87 (n = 10). The method was applied to the determination of Allura red in food samples such as candy, soft drink and jellies.     

Survey of caffeine levels in retail beverages in Portugal.

The caffeine content of 85 retail beverage samples purchased from local supermarkets between 1995 and 2004 was determined. The potential intake of caffeine through the consumption of these beverages (but excluding coffee) was estimated for students of the University of Coimbra, Portugal. The caffeine content of the beverages ranged from 47.5 to 282.5 mg l(-1) for teas, from 20.1 to 47.2 mg l(-1) for tea extracts samples, and from 80.7 to 168.7 mg l(-1) for cola soft drinks. Caffeine was not completely absent from caffeine-free colas, and energy drinks had a far greater caffeine content than regular drinks, ranging from 21 to 2175 mg l(-1). Soft drinks were consumed by 72% of the individuals, although 14% of the survey participants did not drink any of the different types of the beverages studied. Contrary to expectations for this age group, no consumptions of energy drinks was reported. Daily caffeine intake was estimated to range from 4.7 to 200 mg day(-1), but with only 5% reporting a daily intake around 200 mg caffeine. Cola-type beverages were an important dietary source of caffeine for the population studied. Statistical differences in the caffeine intake between the male and female populations were found, with p = 0.014, being higher for the male population. Of the beverages studied, cola-type drinks showed statistical differences for the male population, p = 0.03, and tea showed statistical differences for female population p = 0.013, respectively.     

Average daily nitrate and nitrite intake in the Belgian population older than 15 years

The aim of this study was to assess the dietary intake of nitrate and nitrite in Belgium. The nitrate content of processed vegetables, cheeses and meat products was analysed. These data were completed by data from non-targeted official control and from the literature. In addition, the nitrite content of meat products was measured. Concentration data for nitrate and nitrite were linked to food consumption data of the Belgian Food Consumption Survey. This study included 3245 respondents, aged 15 years and older. Food intakes were estimated by a repeated 24-h recall using EPIC-SOFT. Only respondents with two completed 24-h recalls (n=3083) were included in the analysis. For the intake assessment, average concentration data and individual consumption data were combined. Usual intake of nitrate/nitrite was calculated using the Nusser method. The mean usual daily intake of nitrate was 1.38 mg kg(-1) bodyweight (bw) day(-1) and the usual daily intake at the 97.5 percentile was 2.76 mg kg(-1) bw day(-1). Exposure of the Belgian population to nitrate at a mean intake corresponded to 38% of the ADI (while 76% at the 97.5 percentile). For the average consumer, half of the intake was derived from vegetables (especially lettuce) and 20% from water and water-based drinks. The average daily intake of nitrate and nitrite from cheese and meat products was low (0.2% and 6% of the ADI at average intake, respectively). Scenario analyses with a higher consumption of vegetables or a higher nitrate concentration in tap water showed a significant higher intake of nitrate. Whether this is beneficial or harmful must be further assessed.     

Estimates of the mean per capita daily intake of benzoic and sorbic acids in Brazil.

The daily intakes of benzoates and sorbates from selected food categories were estimated in Brazil in 1999. The Budget method was used as a first screening procedure for the estimation of the safety aspects of the maximum permitted levels of benzoates and sorbates established by the Brazilian food legislation. This screening indicated that benzoates should be further investigated. In a second step, the daily intakes of these preservatives were assessed by combining measured levels of these additives with national food consumption data derived from a household economic survey and a packaged good market survey. Benzoate and sorbate levels in soft drinks, fruit juices, margarine, yoghurt and cheese were determined by HPLC with a photodiode array detector (detection at 228 nm for benzoic acid, 260 nm for sorbic acid). The estimated intakes of benzoates and sorbates for the average consumer were below the ADIs, ranging from 0.3 to 0.9 and 0.2 to 0.3 mg kg(-1) body weight, respectively. Soft drinks were identified as the main source of benzoates representing >80% of the estimated intake.     

Assessment of estimated daily intakes of benzoates for average and high consumers in Korea.

A study was performed to evaluate the estimated daily intakes (EDI) of benzoates for the average and high (90th percentile) consumers by age and sex categories in Korea. The estimation of daily intakes of benzoates was based on individual dietary intake data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey in 1998 and on the determination of benzoates in eight food categories. The EDI of benzoates for average consumers of different age groups ranged from 0.009 to 0.025 mg kg(-1) bw day(-1). For high consumers, the range of EDI of benzoates was 0.195-1.878 mg kg(-1) bw day(-1). The intakes represented 0.18-0.50% of the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of benzoates for average consumers and 3.9-37.6% of the ADI for high consumers. Foods that contributed most to the daily intakes of benzoates were mixed beverages and soy sauce in Korea.     

Colour and label evaluation of commercial pasteurised red juices and related drinks

Despite growing demand by consumers for healthy beverages, artificial colours are still widely used. Levels of anthocyanins and artificial colours were determined by HPLC with UV-Vis detection in red orange juices and other red beverages (nectar, juice-based, health, carbonated and sports drinks). The contribution of pigments to the visible colour of the beverage was calculated. Red orange juice samples contained about 34?mg?l^?1 of anthocyanins, which were responsible for about 92% of the visible colour. Red juice-based drinks, containing from 0% to 30% of red orange, berry, grape or pomegranate juices, had low levels of anthocyanins (about 7?mg?l^?1) and high levels of E129 (about 32?mg?l^?1), which were responsible for about 90.7% of the colour of these beverages. Red health drinks, enriched with vitamins and polyphenols, contained from 3% to 50% of red fruit juices. Also in this case the E129 levels were higher (about 22?mg?l^?1) than anthocyanins (about 9?mg?l^?1), and were responsible for the colour of the beverages (76.1%). High levels of artificial colours were found in red orange carbonated drinks, but in comparable amounts with those found in the other beverage samples, while anthocyanins were only present in trace amounts. Although all of the beverages claimed to contain red fruits on the labels, no correlation was found between the level of anthocyanins and the declared percentage of red fruits. These labels generally conformed with the requirements of the law, but food product labels can often be misleading to consumers about the real characteristics of the product.     

Estimated intake of intense sweeteners from non-alcoholic beverages in Denmark, 2005

In 2005, 76 out of 177 analysed samples of non-alcoholic beverages were found to contain the intense sweeteners cyclamate, acesulfame-K, aspartame, and saccharin. The content of cyclamate did not exceed the now permitted maximum level in the European Union of 250 mg l(-1) in soft drinks. The estimated intake of the sweeteners was calculated using the Danish Dietary Survey based on 3098 persons aged 1-80 years. The estimated intake with 90th percentiles of 0.7, 0.8 and 0.2 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) for acesulfame-K, aspartame, and saccharin, respectively, was much lower than the acceptable daily intake values of 15, 40, 7, and 2.5 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) for acesulfame-K, aspartame, and saccharin, respectively, and on the same level as in the similar investigation from 1999. In contrast to the 1999 investigation, the 90th percentile of the estimated cyclamate intake in 1-3 year olds with 3.7 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) was in 2005 lower than the acceptable daily intake of 7 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1). However, the 99th percentile for 1-3 year olds with 7.4 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) still exceeded the acceptable daily intake slightly. The 90th percentile for the whole population with 0.9 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) was halved compared with 1999. The reduction in the European Union of the maximum permitted level for cyclamate from 400 to 250 mg l(-1) has brought the intake of cyclamate in small children down to well below the acceptable daily intake value.     

Estimated intake of intense sweeteners from non-alcoholic beverages in Denmark, 2005.

In 2005, 76 out of 177 analysed samples of non-alcoholic beverages were found to contain the intense sweeteners cyclamate, acesulfame-K, aspartame, and saccharin. The content of cyclamate did not exceed the now permitted maximum level in the European Union of 250 mg l(-1) in soft drinks. The estimated intake of the sweeteners was calculated using the Danish Dietary Survey based on 3098 persons aged 1-80 years. The estimated intake with 90th percentiles of 0.7, 0.8 and 0.2 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) for acesulfame-K, aspartame, and saccharin, respectively, was much lower than the acceptable daily intake values of 15, 40, 7, and 2.5 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) for acesulfame-K, aspartame, and saccharin, respectively, and on the same level as in the similar investigation from 1999. In contrast to the 1999 investigation, the 90th percentile of the estimated cyclamate intake in 1-3 year olds with 3.7 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) was in 2005 lower than the acceptable daily intake of 7 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1). However, the 99th percentile for 1-3 year olds with 7.4 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) still exceeded the acceptable daily intake slightly. The 90th percentile for the whole population with 0.9 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) was halved compared with 1999. The reduction in the European Union of the maximum permitted level for cyclamate from 400 to 250 mg l(-1) has brought the intake of cyclamate in small children down to well below the acceptable daily intake value.     

Dietary exposure of secondary school students in Hong Kong to benzoic acid in prepackaged non-alcoholic beverages

This study evaluated the dietary exposure of secondary school students in Hong Kong to benzoic acid from pre-packaged non-alcoholic beverages. Exposure was estimated using local food consumption data of secondary school students obtained by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire in 2000 and the benzoic acid level detected in pre-packaged beverages, including soft drink (both diet/light and regular types), fruit juice, soy milk, Chinese tea and coffee/tea) available locally in late 2006. The estimated dietary exposure to benzoic acid from pre-packaged beverages of average and high consumers (95^th percentile) was 0.31 and 0.97 mg kg^?1 bw day^?1, respectively. These exposures accounted for 6.1 and 19.3% of the acceptable daily intake (ADI: 0–5 mg kg^?1 bw) of benzoic acid for average and high consumers, respectively. As in other countries, soft drinks contributed most to dietary exposure to benzoic acid from pre-packaged beverages in Hong Kong.     

Antioxidant capacity of some caramel-containing soft drinks

Antioxidant properties of foods and beverages have been widely studied; however, few data have been reported on the antioxidant capacity of soft drinks. Apart from fruit juice-based drinks, some of the most common soft drinks contain as a colouring agent one of the four caramel colours allowed in foods (E150 d). Caramels contain melanoidin compounds, which have been reported to contribute to the antioxidant powers of some foodstuff. This study aimed to ascertain the contribution to the antioxidant activity of some caramel-containing soft drinks, such as cola drinks, and chinotto, an original Italian soft drink. Some commercial caramel colours were analysed for main parameters, i.e. HMF (5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural), residual glucose and fructose content, total reducing compounds by the Folin–Ciocalteau reagent, and the antioxidant activity by the FRAP and DPPH^∗ methods. Similar analyses were performed on various soft drinks coloured with E150 d. The results showed that even if soft drinks have a lower antioxidant activity than other beverages such as tea, coffee or chocolate, they may contribute to the antioxidant pool assumed with the diet, since the antioxidant activity ranged from 0.2 for cola-like soft drinks to 1.0 mmoles Trolox equivalent/l for chinotto drinks.     

Assessment of neohesperidine DC stability during pasteurization of juice-based drinks

The stability of neohesperidine DC during pasteurization of citrus juice-based soft drinks was investigated in representative (orange, lemon, apple and pineapple) model beverages and under different temperature and acidity conditions. Results showed no significant hydrolysis after 1h at 90°C in the four drinks, or after pasteurization at temperatures ranging from 60°C (4h) to 100°C (45 min). Only at the lowest pH tested (2.0 in a lemon beverage) was a significant loss (8%) of neohesperidine DC detected.     

Caffeine intake and its sources: A review of national representative studies

Aim of this review is to summarize current daily caffeine intake of children, adolescents, and adults, and trends in caffeine intake over the past decade. A literature search was conducted (1997–2015) which yielded 18 reports on nationally representative studies, describing caffeine consumption of over 275,000 children, adolescents and adults. The data revealed that mean total daily caffeine intake in children, adolescents, and adults is below caffeine intake recommendations such as those stated by Health Canada (2.5 mg/kg bw/day for children and adolescents, and 400 mg/day for adults) and the European Food Safety Authority, EFSA (3 mg/kg bw/day for children and adolescents, and 400 mg/day for adults). Total daily caffeine intake has remained stable in the last 10–15 years, and coffee, tea and soft drinks are the most important caffeine sources. Across all age groups, energy drinks contribute little to total caffeine intake. The highest potential for reducing daily caffeine intake is by limiting coffee consumption, and in some countries and age groups, by reducing tea and soft drink consumption.     

Estimate of intake of benzoic acid in the Belgian adult population

An exposure assessment was performed to estimate average daily benzoic acid intake for Belgian adults. Food consumption data were retrieved from the national food-consumption survey. As a first step, individual food-consumption data were multiplied with the maximum permitted use levels for benzoic acid per food group (Tier 2). As a second step, a label survey to identify the foods where benzoic acid is effectively used as an additive and a literature review of the possible occurrence of benzoic acid as a natural substance were performed. With this information, a refined list of foods was drafted for the quantification of benzoic acid, which was performed by a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method, optimized and validated for this purpose. Individual food-consumption data were then multiplied with the actual average concentrations of benzoic acid per food group (Tier 3). Usual intakes were calculated using the Nusser method. The mean benzoic acid intake was 1.58 mg kg^?1 body weight day^?1 (Tier 2) and 1.25 mg kg^?1 body weight day^?1 (Tier 3). In Tier 2, men exceeded the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 5 mg kg^?1 body weight day^?1 at the 99th percentile. The greatest contributors to the benzoic acid intake were soft drinks. Benzoic acid as a natural substance represents only a small percentage of the total intake. The results show that actual benzoic acid intake is very likely to be below the ADI. However, there is a need to collect national food-consumption data for children as they might be more vulnerable to an excessive intake.     

Brominated vegetable oil in soft drinks – an underrated source of human organobromine intake

In North America brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is frequently used as a clouding agent for soft drinks. BVO containing soft drinks have a market share of about 15% in the USA. In our study we analysed several soft drinks from North America for BVO and calculated exposures from our results and consumption data. Based on a mean content of 8 ppm in BVO-containing soft drinks, the average daily human intake of BVO exceeds the intake of other organobromine compounds, e.g., polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), by >4000 times for adults and >1000 times for children. By comparing the patterns of the brominated fatty acids (BFA) in the soft drinks, we were able to distinguish three BVO products used by three soft drink manufacturers. The analysis also revealed that the predominant BFAs in BVO are the Br₂-18:0 (bromination product of oleic acid) and Br₄-18:0 (bromination product of linoleic acid).     

高效液相色谱法测定饮料中的新红、诱惑红及赤藓红

利用高效液相色谱法测定饮料中的新红、诱惑红及赤藓红含量,确定了检测条件为：Agilent C18 (150 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm)色谱柱,柱温25 ℃,流动相为乙酸铵-甲醇(92∶8, V/V),流速1.0 mL/min,进样量10 μL,检测波长254 nm。结果表明,新红、诱惑红及赤藓红在0～50 μg/mL范围内线性关系良好(R2=0.999 8),平均加样回收率为91.0%～96.8%,平均相对标准偏差(RSD)为0.4%～2.9%,新红、诱惑红及赤藓红的检出限分别为0.10 mg/kg、1.00 mg/kg及0.70 mg/kg。该方法快速准确,适用于饮料中的新红、诱惑红及赤藓红含量的测定。     

Fluoride content of soft drinks,nectars, juices,juice drinks,concentrates, teas and infusions marketed in Portugal

A potentiometric method using a fluoride combination ion-selective electrode was validated and used to analyse 183 samples, including soft drinks, juices, nectars, juice drinks, concentrates, teas and infusions marketed in Portugal. The fluoride levels were higher in extract-based soft drinks, juice drinks and juice, with fluoride values of 0.86 ± 0.35, 0.40 ± 0.24 and 0.37 ± 0.11 mg l^?1, respectively. The lowest fluoride concentration was found in infusion samples (0.12 ± 0.01 mg l^?1), followed by teas and carbonated soft drinks with fluoride concentrations of 0.16 ± 0.12 and 0.18 ± 0.07 mg l^?1, respectively. Nectars, concentrates and juice-based drinks had similar fluoride concentrations of 0.33 ± 0.16, 0.29 ± 0.12 and 0.25 ± 0.14 mg l^?1, respectively. The fluoride concentrations in all these samples would only contribute intakes below the acceptable daily intake (ADI = 0.05 mg kg^?1 body weight day^?1), indicating that, individually, these beverages cannot induce fluoride toxicity in the population group of children.     

Estimated intake of the sweeteners,acesulfame-K and aspartame,from soft drinks,soft drinks based on mineral waters and nectars for a group of Portuguese teenage students

In a survey of levels of acesulfame-K and aspartame in soft drinks and in light nectars, the intake of these intense sweeteners was estimated for a group of teenage students. Acesulfame-K was detected in 72% of the soft drinks, with a mean concentration of 72 mg l^?1 and aspartame was found in 92% of the samples with a mean concentration of 89 mg l^?1. When data on the content of these sweeteners in soft drinks were analysed according to flavour, cola drinks had the highest mean levels for both sweeteners with 98 and 103 mg l^?1 for acesulfame-K and aspartame, respectively. For soft drinks based on mineral water, aspartame was found in 62% of the samples, with a mean concentration of 82 mg l^?1 and acesulfame-K was found in 77%, with a mean level of 48 mg l^?1. All samples of nectars contained acesulfame-K, with a mean concentration of 128 mg l^?1 and aspartame was detected in 80% of the samples with a mean concentration of 73 mg l^?1. A frequency questionnaire, designed to identify adolescents having high consumption of these drinks, was completed by a randomly selected sample of teenagers (n = 65) living in the city of Coimbra, in 2007. The estimated daily intakes (EDI) of acesulfame-K and aspartame for the average consumer were below the acceptable daily intakes (ADIs). For acesulfame-K, the EDI was 0.7 mg kg^?1 bw day^?1 for soft drinks, 0.2 mg kg^?1 bw day^?1 for soft drinks based on mineral waters, and 0.5 mg kg^?1 bw day^?1 for nectars, representing 8.0%, 2.2%, and 5.8% of the ADI, respectively. A similar situation was observed for aspartame. In this way, the EDI for soft drinks was 1.1 mg kg^?1 day^?1, representing only 2.9% of the ADI. In respect of nectars, the EDI was 0.2 mg kg^?1 bw day^?1, representing 0.5% of the ADI. Soft drinks based on mineral waters showed the lowest EDI values of 0.3 mg kg^?1 bw day^?1, accounting for 0.7% of the ADI.     

Caffeine levels in beverages from Argentina's market: application to caffeine dietary intake assessment

The caffeine content of different beverages from Argentina's market was measured. Several brands of coffees, teas, mates, chocolate milks, soft and energy drinks were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet detection. The highest concentration level was found in short coffee (1.38 mg ml^?1) and the highest amount per serving was found in instant coffee (95 mg per serving). A consumption study was also carried out among 471 people from 2 to 93 years of age to evaluate caffeine total dietary intake by age and to identify the sources of caffeine intake. The mean caffeine intake among adults was 288 mg day^?1 and mate was the main contributor to that intake. The mean caffeine intake among children of 10 years of age and under was 35 mg day^?1 and soft drinks were the major contributors to that intake. Children between 11 and 15 years old and teenagers (between 16 and 20 years) had caffeine mean intakes of 120 and 240 mg day^?1, respectively, and mate was the major contributor to those intakes. Drinking mate is a deep-rooted habit among Argentine people and it might be the reason for their elevated caffeine mean daily intake.     

Exposure assessment of synthetic colours approved in Korea

The dietary intakes of nine synthetic food colours – amaranth, erythrosine, Allura Red, Ponceau 4R, tartrazine, Sunset Yellow FCF, Fast Green FCF, Brilliant Blue FCF and indigo carmine – permitted in Korea were estimated based on food consumption data for consumers and their concentrations in processed foods. The estimated daily intakes (EDIs) by Korean consumers were compared with the acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) of the colours. Among 704 foods sampled, 471 contained synthetic colours. The most highly consumed synthetic colours were Allura Red and tartrazine; the highest EDI/ADI ratios were found for amaranth, erythrosine and Allura Red. The EDIs of infants and children were higher than those of adults. The main food categories containing colours were beverages and liquor for adults, and beverages, chocolate and ice cream for infants and children. For average Korean consumers, the EDIs were not greater than 2.5% of their corresponding ADIs, although the EDI of a conservative consumer in the upper 95th percentile reached 37% of the ADI.