title: Sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate preservatives in food stuffs in Iran.
abstract: A high-performance liquid chromatography method was applied for the determination of the levels of benzoate and sorbate in 400 food samples, including pickled cucumbers, canned tomato pastes, sour cherry jams, soft drinks, fruit juices and dairy products (UF-Feta cheeses, Lighvan cheeses, lactic cheeses, yogurts and doogh). The results showed that 270 (67.5%) of all samples contained benzoate ranging from 11.9 to 288.5 mg kg(-1) in lactic cheese and fruit juice, respectively. The levels of sorbate in 98 (24.5%) of the samples were 20.1 to 284.3 mg kg(-1) in doogh and fruit juice, respectively. Moreover, benzoate was detected in all dairy products ranging from 11.9 mg kg(-1) in lactic cheese to 91.2 mg kg(-1) in UF-Feta cheese. A low concentration of benzoate could originate naturally, due to specific biochemical mechanisms during cheese, yogurt and doogh maturation. In conclusion, a minimum level for benzoate in dairy products should be defined in the legislation.
authors.affiliation: a Food and Drug Administration , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Mansooreh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amirpour
authors.forename: Azim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arman
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yolmeh
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akbari Azam
authors.forename: Zhila
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Moradi-Khatoonabadi
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D020160:Sodium Benzoate / Q000032:analysis*; D013011:Sorbic Acid / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005520:Food Preservatives; D020160:Sodium Benzoate; D013011:Sorbic Acid
keywords: HPLC; cheese; food; potassium sorbate; sodium benzoate