Keiichi Sakai

Analysis of Food Preservatives (II)

In the previous report the authors introduced a rapid detecting method for dehydroacetic acid (DHA), using cation exchange resin. In the present study, the method using anion exchange resin was investigated. In this method, DHA in an acidic aqueous solution prepared from a food was extracted by benzene and reextracted by alkaline solution, in which 0.3ml of anion exchange resin was added. This mixture was shaked for 15 minutes. After decanting the supernatant, 3ml of a TiCl3 solution was added. Blue coloration indicates the presence of DHA. DHA concentration range to be detected by this method was 0.2 to 1.5mg of DHA per 50ml of a sample solution and the color was retained for about 3 minutes.Several food preservatives, except sorbic acid, benzoic acid and salicylic acid, and food colors, except xanthene series did not interfere with the color reaction of DHA.This method seems to be simple and useful for the detection of DHA in various foods.