Mineral Composition and Nutritive Value of Isotonic and Energy Drinks

4-Methylimidazole, a carcinogenic component in food, amount, methods used for measurement; a systematic review

4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) is widely used industrially. This carcinogenic component has been reported in some types of food. It is usually produced by the caramelization process in food, drinks and caramel coloring. The possible mechanism for the formation of this compound in food is the Maillard reaction. In order to estimate the amount of substance 4-MEI in food, a systematic study was conducted. The selected keywords were 4-methylimidazole, 4-MEI, beverage, drink, meat, milk, and coffee. 144 articles were obtained from the initial search. The articles were evaluated and finally, the data of 15 manuscripts were extracted. Based on the data extracted from selected articles, the highest amount is reported in caramel color, coffee, and cola drinks. In 70% of the selected studies, the analytical method was based on liquid chromatography. In this method, there is no need for derivatization. SPE columns were used to extract samples in most manuscripts. According to per capita consumption, the most exposure to 4-MEI is through coffee. In high risk food products, regular monitoring with analytical methods with high sensitivity is recommended. Furthermore, most of the selected studies were about the validation method, so few samples were selected. It is recommended to design more studies with a high sample size to accurately evaluate this carcinogenic compound in food.

Functional Beverages in the 21st Century

Underlying the dawn of humanity was primarily the search for food and access to drinking water. Over the course of civilization, there has been a significant increase in drinking water quality. By the average of the nutritional standards, the daily water demand is 2.5 L (also including liquid products such as tea, coffee, or soup). However, it is worth noticing that the need is strictly individual for each person and depends on two major factors, namely, epidemiological (sex, age state of health, lifestyle, and diet) and environmental (humidity and air temperature). Currently, our diet is more and more often enriched with isotonic drinks, functional drinks, or drinks bearing the hallmarks of health-promoting products. As a result, manufacturing companies compete to present more interesting beverages with complex compositions. This article will discuss both the composition of functional beverages and their impact on health.

Analysis of urine by MIP-OES: challenges and strategies to correct matrix effects

This work investigated the potential of microwave-induced plasma optical emission spectrometry (MIP-OES) for urine analysis using a complex matrix containing carbon and high concentrations of easily ionizable elements (EIEs). The goals were to study interferences originating from the urine matrix for 14 analytes with total energies varying from 1.85 to 12.07 eV, along with strategies to correct matrix effects and compare the results with those reported in the literature using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). It was found that the urine matrix caused suppression of the signals for some elements and increased them for others. Therefore, an internal standardization calibration method and three levels of dilution, i.e., 2-, 20-, and 200-fold, were applied as strategies to correct non-spectral interferences. Also, Ga, Ge, Pd, Rh, Sc and Y and four molecular species present in the nitrogen plasma (i.e., CN, N₂, N₂⁺, and OH) were investigated as potential internal standards (ISs). The accuracy and precision were evaluated by addition and recovery experiments and best results were obtained using ISs Ge, Rh and Sc for 20-fold dilution and N₂⁺ for 200-fold dilution. The LODs ranged from 0.33 to 329 μg L^-1 and deviations were lower than 11%. The combined use of these strategies led to successful urine analysis for a spiked sample by MIP-OES.

Can Functional Beverages Serve as a Substantial Source of Macroelements and Microelements in Human Nutrition?-Analysis of Selected Minerals in Energy and Isotonic Drinks

Studies on the ingredients of energy drinks and isotonic drinks focus mainly on the evaluation of their content in terms of substances modulating the body's metabolism or those regarded as food additives. Having regard to the widespread availability of these beverages, their diversity and the limited number of studies in this area, the aim of this study was to analyse the contents of F, Al, Cd, Cr, Mn, V, Co, Ni, Zn, Bi and Na in the energy drinks and isotonic drinks available in the Polish market. Fluorine concentration was analysed using an ion-selective electrode. The other elements were analysed using ICP-OES. Obtained results showed that functional beverages need to be taken into account as a source of macroelements and microelements in human nutrition, particularly when ingested often and in large quantities (which applies particularly to the young population). Moreover, due caution needs to be maintained in consumer choices.

Mineral Composition Evaluation in Energy Drinks Using ICP OES and Chemometric Tools

This study reports the simultaneous determination of the total concentrations of Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, and Zn in 17  samples of commercial energy drinks through inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and multivariate methods, such as Pearson correlation and principal component analysis (PCA), in order to conduct a more thorough evaluation of the original data. The samples studied were stored in two types of containers (polyethylene terephthalate bottles and aluminum cans) and purchased in the city of Belém (State of Pará, Brazil). The results showed high Na content in energy drinks, followed by K, Ca, and Mg. The accuracy of the optimized method was evaluated with the certified reference materials to assess trace elements in water (NIST 1643e); the resultant recoveries varied from 83 to 105%. Energy drinks stored in cans presented higher levels of aluminum and magnesium, while those bottled in polyethylene terephthalate bottles had a higher K content. There were significant differences between the observed Na concentrations and the values dictated on the drink package. Furthermore, PCA explained 70.38% of the total variance, allowing for an evaluation of the degree of similarity between the energy drinks studied and showing that the main contributions to the formation of groups are related to Fe, Na, Mg, and Zn contents. These results will be used to better understand the distribution of inorganic elements contained in energy drinks.

Survey of trace elements in bottled natural mineral waters using ICP-MS

This study monitors the elemental composition of different brands of bottled natural mineral waters marketed in Turkey and discusses compositional parameters. Natural mineral water samples were analyzed for cesium (Cs), rubidium (Rb), thallium (Tl), cobalt (Co), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), gallium (Ga), vanadium (V), silver (Ag), cadmium (Cd), uranium (U), thorium (Th), and molybdenum (Mo) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Method trueness was confirmed by using 1640A natural water certified reference materials purchased from Laboratory of the Government Chemist (LGC). The linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, repeatability, and recovery (%) were assessed. Method validation data and results obtained from the certified reference material suggested that the method could be applied to determine elemental contaminants of the samples. Cd, Tl, Ag, and Th could not be determined (< LOD) in the samples. Pb, Cs, Co, Rb, Ga, V, U, As, Cr, and Mo were determined in samples. The results were compared with elemental standards for natural mineral waters set according to the World Health Organization and United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the concentrations of all metals did not exceed these values.