Formaldehyde in Alcoholic Beverages: A Large Chemical Survey
Author Information
Author(s): Jendral Julien A., Monakhova Yulia B., Lachenmeier Dirk W.
Primary Institution: Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt (CVUA) Karlsruhe
Hypothesis
Can a two-step method effectively analyze formaldehyde levels in alcoholic beverages?
Conclusion
The study confirmed that only 1.8% of the samples exceeded the WHO IPCS tolerable concentration for formaldehyde.
Supporting Evidence
- 210 samples (41%) gave a positive purpald reaction.
- 132 samples (26%) contained formaldehyde with an average of 0.27 mg/L.
- The highest incidence of formaldehyde was found in tequila (83%) and Asian spirits (59%).
- Only 9 samples (1.8%) had formaldehyde levels above the WHO IPCS tolerable concentration of 2.6 mg/L.
Takeaway
The researchers tested many alcoholic drinks to see how much formaldehyde they had, and found that most were safe.
Methodology
The study used a two-step method: a colorimetric test with purpald reagent followed by quantitative spectrophotometry using chromotropic acid.
Limitations
The purpald assay had a false positive rate of 37%, and the study did not conduct further validation in other matrices.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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