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.

KEYWORDS:

• Preservative
• benzoic acid
• sorbic acid
• propionic acid
• vegetables

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a grant [17161MFDS006] from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety,  Republic of Korea in 2017.