A Cross-border Method Validation for the Determination of Sweeteners in Soft Drinks

M. J. Walker(a)(b), J. McShane(b), D. Thorburn Burns(c), P. Canavan(d) and A. Flanagan(d).

(a) To whom correspondence should be addressed, Michael Walker Consulting, 29, Dorchester Drive, Newtownabbey, BT36 5WP, walkermj@ntlworld.com.
(b) Formerly of the Laboratory of the Public Analyst for Northern Ireland, 16, Donegal Square South, Belfast, BT1 5JJ
(c) The Queen’s University of Belfast, Belfast, BT9 5AG
(d) Western Region Public Analyst’s Laboratory, University College Hospital, Seamus Quirke Road, Galway.

Summary

The validated procedure deals with the identification and determination of the sweeteners Acesulfame K, aspartame and saccharin in soft drinks and similar beverages, using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography with a buffered mobile phase and detection by ultra violet absorption detection at 220nm. The acceptance criteria required for the method performance characteristics were:

• Linearity, a goodness of fit, expressed as a coefficient of determination (r2), of greater or equal to 0.995
• Recovery of 90-110% of theoretical value
• Repeatability, a relative standard deviation (RSD), to be less than 5.0%.

The method meets these criteria which are based on guidance on procedure validation given by the European Medicines Agency.

The method is given in full in Appendix 1 of the paper.

Full text of paper

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