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Determining adulteration of canned products using SNIF-NMR and IRMS: detection of undeclared addition of synthetic acetic acid

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Abstract

Possible adulteration of canned products containing spirit vinegar pickle by adding synthetic acetic acid is a significant problem of the food industry. Isotope analyses, which determine botanical origin of acetic acid and also can detect synthetic acid, were applied to detect undeclared addition of synthetic acetic acid to canned products. The aim of the study was to improve the extraction technique for the SNIF-NMR (2H/1H; site-specific natural isotopic fractionation-nuclear magnetic resonance) and IRMS (13C/12C; isotope ratio mass spectrometry) isotope methods and for an atypical matrix and to determine isotope ratios in canned vegetables pickle to prove their adulteration or authenticity. The following set of canned products was analysed: pickled cucumbers (n = 16) and one vinegar pickle purchased in the Czech market and six model (cucumber) pickles. The determined ratios of 2H/1H and 13C/12C for the pickled cucumbers proved to be authentic ranged from 89.4 to 107.0 ppm and from −28.7 to −15.6 ‰, respectively; for the synthetic acetic acids diluted with water they ranged from 114.2 to 129.0 ppm and from −44.9 to −33.4 ‰, respectively. Isotope analyses were confirmed as a reliable tool for assessing authenticity of canned products. The method enables detection of synthetic acetic acid addition into vinegars and canned vegetables containing vinegar pickle up from 20 % (of total acidity).

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Acknowledgments

Financial support was secured from specific university research (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports No. 20/2013) and from the Ministry of Agriculture Project No. QI91B283. The authors express thanks to their colleagues from the Customs Technical Laboratory Prague (Petra Majerová and Jitka Velíšková) for their help and cooperation in this project. The authors wish to express their sincere thanks to the late Professor Michal Voldřich for his kind suggestions, encouragement and inspiration not only in this work.

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Compliance with Ethics Requirements

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Preservation, Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague, Technická 5, 166 28, Prague 6, Czech Republic

    Adéla Grégrová, Eva Neradová, Vojtěch Kružík & Helena Čížková

  2. Customs Technical Laboratory Prague, Budějovická 7, 140 96, Prague 4, Czech Republic

    Jiří Mazáč & Pavel Havelec

Authors
  1. Adéla Grégrová
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  2. Eva Neradová
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  3. Vojtěch Kružík
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  4. Jiří Mazáč
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  5. Pavel Havelec
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  6. Helena Čížková
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Correspondence to Adéla Grégrová.

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Grégrová, A., Neradová, E., Kružík, V. et al. Determining adulteration of canned products using SNIF-NMR and IRMS: detection of undeclared addition of synthetic acetic acid. Eur Food Res Technol 239, 169–174 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-014-2209-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-014-2209-9

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