Helping to authenticate sparkling drinks with 13C/12C of CO2 by gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry

We applied direct injections of headspace gas into a Gas Chromatography – Combustion – Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) system to measure 13C/12C isotopic ratio of carbon dioxide from the headspace of several sparkling and soft-drinks. This straightforward technique, which consists in an automated analysis of the headspace sample with no prior purification steps, improves the determination of δ13C values of CO2 gas as a food probe authenticity. However, for an ultimate test, combination with other isotopic data is required.