Food additives provide various functions in processed foods and beverages, such acidulants, emulsifiers, artificial flavoring, and sweeteners, and are commonly regulated under labeling requirements. Brominated vegetable oil (BVO), is one of these additives, frequently used to emulsify citrus flavoring and provide a stable mixture in carbonated and other beverages. BVO is a heterogenous fatty acid composed of three plant-based oils which are brominated at the previously unsaturated bonds. Although rated as “generally regarded as safe” in the U.S., the acceptability of BVO as a food additive is controversial. BVO has been banned in many other countries and under public scrutiny because of similarity to brominated fire retardants. Analytical methods are needed for BVO determinations to maintain the beverage formulation and to meet labeling requirements. However, the determinations are challenging because of its nature as a non-polar suspension in an ionic sample matrix. As with other challenging matrices, pyrolytic combustion ion chromatography is an ideal approach to eliminate the sample matrix and increase sample homogeneity. In this application, BVO was determined in beverage samples by pyrolyzing a 50-µL aliquot at 1000 °C under inert atmosphere and combusted with oxygen, water, and peroxide to obtain bromide. Bromide and other ions in the collected aqueous sample are separated by anion-exchange chromatography on a 4 x 150 column using electrolytically generated 23 mM KOH at 1.0 mL/min and detected by suppressed conductivity. Using overlap mode for the 5 min combustion, the total run time is 13 min. BVO was determined in three carbonated beverage and two ginger beer samples. Bromide from total BVO was found at expected levels in one of the carbonated beverages and unexpectedly found in another carbonated beverage. The method had good accuracy with recoveries within the 80-120% and good reproducibility with &lt;5% RSDs.

Determination of brominated vegetable oils in beverages using pyrolytic combustion coupled to ion chromatography

2019 Spring National Meeting

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