MONITORING OF BENZOIC ACID LEVELS IN SOFT DRINKS CONSUMED IN ADEN, YEMEN

Naser Abdulrb  Al-halmi; Adel A. M.  Saeed; Mokhtar S. S.  Al-Salimi; Manar Gaafar  Abobakr; Khoola Younis  Ahmed; Ohood Khaled  Mustafa; Fatma Saeed  Hood; Rawan Salah  Hussein; Nabela Mokhtar  Saeed; Zahra Omar  Taleb; Yahiya Kadaf  Manea

doi:10.47372/ejua-ba.2024.3.376

Authors

Naser Abdulrb Al-halmi Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Aden, Aden, Yemen
Adel A. M. Saeed Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Aden, Aden, Yemen
Mokhtar S. S. Al-Salimi Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Yafea University, University of Lahej, Yafea, Yemen
Manar Gaafar Abobakr Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Aden, Aden, Yemen
Khoola Younis Ahmed Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Aden, Aden, Yemen
Ohood Khaled Mustafa Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Aden, Aden, Yemen
Fatma Saeed Hood Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Aden, Aden, Yemen
Rawan Salah Hussein Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Aden, Aden, Yemen
Nabela Mokhtar Saeed Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Aden, Aden, Yemen
Zahra Omar Taleb Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Aden, Aden, Yemen
Yahiya Kadaf Manea Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Education, University of Aden, Aden, Yemen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47372/ejua-ba.2024.3.376

Keywords:

Benzoic acid, Food additives, Soft drinks, High-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract

Benzoic acid is widely used as a food preservative due to its effectiveness in inhibiting the growth of yeast and mold. The undissociated form of benzoic acid is the most potent. In acidic beverages like soft drinks, benzoic acid can react with additives such as ascorbic acid to release benzene, which can pose health concerns. This study aimed to determine the levels of benzoic acid in soft drink samples commonly consumed in Aden, Yemen. Eighteen soft drink samples were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography with a UV detector. The highest benzoic acid concentration was found in a FIFA orange sample at 173.87 ppm, while the lowest was 8.40 ppm in a DREAM red sample. Some samples, including MIRINDA orange, FANTA apple, and DILSI red, had no detectable levels of benzoic acid, despite their labels indicating its presence. Overall, the benzoic acid concentrations in all tested samples were within the permissible limits set by local, regional, and international standards.