Sorbate and benzoate in Turkish retail foodstuffs

Benzoates and in situ formed benzene in food supplements and risk assessment

Upward trend in the use of food supplements urged the assessment of their safety. Eighty-eight liquid herbal supplements collected in Novi Sad (Serbia) in 2018 (36 samples) and 2021 (52 samples) were analysed for the presence of benzoates and sorbates (HPLC-UV) and benzene (HS-GC/MS). Benzoic acid varied from 599 to 9253 mg/kg and sorbic acid between 185 and 1658 mg/kg. The acceptable daily intake of sorbic acid was not reached, but in case of benzoic acid, it was exceeded by 5.3% of the samples. The presence of benzene was confirmed in 41.2% of benzoate preserved supplements (0.9-51.7 µg/kg). Benzene exposure revealed no health concern: maximum hazard quotients ranged from 0.39% (toddlers) to 0.84% (adolescents); minimum margins of exposure were between 35,680 (adolescents) and 77,419 (toddlers); estimates of lifetime cancer risk did not reach one extra cancer case per 100 000 persons. However, measures to mitigate benzene presence in food should be considered.

Evaluation of Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate Preservative Concentrations in Different Sauce Samples in Urmia, Iran

Sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate are relatively common preservatives used in a wide range of foods including flavoring products like sauces. The potential health risks arising from these preservatives along with the high consumption rate of these flavoring products worldwide highlight the importance of the quality and safety assurance of these products. So, this study aimed to evaluate the concentrations of these two common preservatives (i.e., sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate) in different sauce samples, including mayonnaise, salad dressings, Caesar sauce, Italian dressing, Ranch dressing, French dressing, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and to compare them with the acceptable level of Codex standard. For this purpose, 49 samples, including three to five samples of each type of different brands of sauce samples, were randomly collected from supermarkets in Urmia, Iran. Based on the results, the mean concentrations ± standard deviation of sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate in the collected samples were found to be 249.9 ± 157 and 158.0 ± 131 ppm, respectively, which were lower than the general standard of the Codex Alimentarius and the European legislation. Due to the importance of hazardous side effects of these preservatives for consumers, regular and accurate evaluation of these preservatives in sauces as highly consumed food products is still recommended for consumer safety.

Simultaneous determination of benzoic acid and sorbic acid in non-alcoholic beverages by a validated HS-GC-MS method with reduced waste

A headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS) method is presented for the simultaneous determination of benzoic acid (BA) and sorbic acid (SoA) in different types of non-alcoholic beverages. Sensitive and reliable results were achieved together with minimising consumption of reagents and samples. Salicylic acid (SalA) was used as internal standard (IS). It was necessary to derivatise BA, SoA and SalA to their methyl esters for HS-GC-MS measurement and extensive optimisation studies for in-vial derivatisation were carried out on the temperature, incubation time, injection time of the loopless HS, as well as on the concentration of sulphuric acid used as a catalyst. Validation studies carried out under optimum conditions after mixing 50 µL of sample and IS solutions with 200 µL of 4.5 M sulphuric acid in 22 mL HS vials revealed that the developed method was both very precise (relative standard deviation < 5%) and accurate (average recovery%: 101.0% for BA and 100.4% for SoA). The validated method was applied to a wide range of beverage types and the results compared with the relevant regulation and product label declarations.

Vortex-assisted natural deep eutectic solvent dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on the solidification of a floating organic drop for the determination of benzoic acid and sorbic acid in condiments

A simple, inexpensive, reliable and environmentally friendly method based on vortex-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with solidification of a floating organic drop (VA-DLLME-SFO) followed by high performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) was developed to determine benzoic acid (BA) and sorbic acid (SA) in ketchup and powder bags of instant noodles. Hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs), as the microextraction solvent, were prepared with ternary components. Acetic acid can reduce the viscosity of hydrophobic NADESs and vortex can promote the dispersion of NADESs in aqueous solvents. In the DLLME process, several key parameters were optimized, including the type and volume of hydrophobic NADES, pH value, vortex time and salt content. Meanwhile, these parameters were assessed using response surface methodology based on the Box-Behnken design (BBD). Under optimal conditions, the developed method showed good linearity in the selected range (r², 0.9997). The limits of detection were 0.2 μg mL^-1 and 0.07 μg mL^-1 for BA and SA, respectively. Recoveries were in the range of 82.21% to 102.70% and the relative standard deviations (intra-day and inter-day precisions) were less than 5.66%. The proposed method was successful in analyzing BA and SA in ketchup and powder bags of instant noodles.

Capillary electrophoresis to approach sorbate usage in processed meat products in Brazil

Sorbate is a highly used preservative in a wide range of processed foods, including meat products. In this work sorbate usage in commercial processed meat products from the Brazilian market was evaluated. A capillary electrophoresis method for sorbate analysis using ethanol:water extraction solution (1:2, v/v) and sodium tetraborate (20 mmol L^-1) electrolyte solution was validated. Low limits of detection (0.4 mg L^-1) and quantification (1.0 mg L^-1), good precision (RSD = 3.6%) and suitable accuracy (70.2%, RSD = 1.8%) were attained. Linearity was observed from 1.0 to 15.8 mg L^-1, with r ≥ 0.999. The proposed method was applied to Brazilian pork and hot dog sausages, salami, ham and mortadella. A peak of sorbate between 4 and 6 min was found in pork and hot dog sausages, poultry and pork mortadella, but not in ham and salami. The sorbate levels ranged from 54.0 to 976.4 mg kg^-1. Sorbate concentration exceeded the 200 mg kg^-1 limit of the Brazilian legislation in all sorts of products in the majority of the brands despite there being no information regarding sorbate on the label. These results indicated the widespread use of sorbate, turning this into food for thought.

Benzoic acid and its derivatives as naturally occurring compounds in foods and as additives: Uses, exposure, and controversy

Benzoic acid is an aromatic carboxylic acid naturally present in plant and animal tissues, which can also be produced by microorganisms. Benzoic acid and a wide range of derivatives and related benzenic compounds, such as salts, alkyl esters, parabens, benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde, and benzoyl peroxide, are commonly used as antibacterial and antifungal preservatives and as flavoring agents in food, cosmetic, hygiene, and pharmaceutical products. As a result of their widespread occurrence, production, and uses, these compounds are largely distributed in the environment and found in water, soil, and air. Consequently, human exposure to them can be high, common, and lengthy. This review is mainly focused on the presence and use of benzoic acid in foods but it also covers the occurrence, uses, human exposure, metabolism, toxicology, analytical methods for detection, and legal limits for benzoic acid and its derivatives. Their controversial effects and potential public health concerns are discussed.

Adding Molecules to Food, Pros and Cons: A Review on Synthetic and Natural Food Additives

The pressing issue to feed the increasing world population has created a demand to enhance food production, which has to be cheaper, but at the same time must meet high quality standards. Taste, appearance, texture, and microbiological safety are required to be preserved within a foodstuff for the longest period of time. Although considerable improvements have been achieved in terms of food additives, some are still enveloped in controversy. The lack of uniformity in worldwide laws regarding additives, along with conflicting results of many studies help foster this controversy. In this report, the most important preservatives, nutritional additives, coloring, flavoring, texturizing, and miscellaneous agents are analyzed in terms of safety and toxicity. Natural additives and extracts, which are gaining interest due to changes in consumer habits are also evaluated in terms of their benefits to health and combined effects. Technologies, like edible coatings and films, which have helped overcome some drawbacks of additives, but still pose some disadvantages, are briefly addressed. Future trends like nanoencapsulation and the development of "smart" additives and packages, specific vaccines for intolerance to additives, use of fungi to produce additives, and DNA recombinant technologies are summarized.