A Note on the Determination of Sorbic Acid with Special Reference to the G.L.C. Method of E. Fogel

ic Acid with Special Reference to the G.L.C. I’Iethotl of E. Fogrlen D. A. TA,E Caroii .Ttlolltic.tl Laboratory, County Hall, Moidsto e, Kent s part of a collaborative study four different methods oi determitration were examined and these are summa sed below together with the results on the samples supplied. In carrying out this collaborative study, it was essential to comply to every detail of each method, and also to carry out recovery experiments and blank determinations. Methoil 1 This was the E.E.C. method for wine, involving steam distillation from a 20 ml sample with 2 g of tartaric acid. The steam distillate was assessed by u.v. absorption and by the thiobarbituric acid colour test. Four samples of wine were received; the sample marked (B) containing no sorbic acid. Sample (B) was therefore spiked to give a level of 125 mg/l of sorbii-acid. The U.V. examination of the steam distillate gave a recovery of 87 per cent. while the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) colour test gave a 90 per cent. recovery. Wine (A) gave 230 mgi I by U.V. and 230 mg/l by the TBA test. Wine (B) gave 108 mg/l by U.V. and 108 mg/l by the TBA test. Wine (D) gave 186 mgll by U.V. and 184 mg/l by the TBA test