Page 264 - Analytical method for food addtives

14

E355–7, E359: Adipic acid and its salts

14.1 Introduction

The major food groups contributing to dietary intake of adipic acid and its salts are
desserts especially jellies with a maximum permitted level of 10 000 mg/kg,
expressed as adipic acid, being allowed in powders for home preparation of drinks.
The ADI for adipic acid and its salts is 5 mg/kg body weight/day.
Adipic acid is a dibasic carboxylic acid that occurs naturally in beet juice. This
acid is widely used in the food industry for buffering and neutralising purposes.
Since it is hygroscopic, it is useful for preparing baking powder and soft drink
powders. 1

14.2 Methods of analysis

Many references were available for adipate esters in packaging materials, the
specific migration of di-(2-ethylhexyl)adipate DEHA from PVC films, and the
determination of adipic acid content of acetylated di-starch adipates (modified
starch). There are several methods published for the determination of adipic acid
in foodstuffs. These are summarised in Table 14.1, together with the matrices for
which the methods are applicable. If statistical parameters for these methods were
available these have been summarised in Table 14.2. The majority of these
methods are applicable to wine, candy, soft drinks and ice lollies, and are HPLC, 2,3
1
GC, and capillary zone electrophoresis methods. Methods published for the
4
determination of adipic acid esters in food packaging materials, food simulants and
5–8
acetylated cross-linked starches are GC methods and these are also summarised
in Table 14.1. Adipic acid is widely used in the food industry and so it is surprising
to find that there are only a limited number of published methods for it. Further