Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7585522 | Food Chemistry | 2018 | 29 Pages |
Abstract
In Europe, 2-acetyl-4-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybutyl)imidazole (THI) and 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) are - to a certain level - allowed to be present in the food colours ammonia caramel (E 150c) and sulphite ammonia caramel (E 150d). Besides their presence in food colours, exposure to these contaminants may also include other dietary sources. This study describes the occurrence of THI and 4-MEI in a wide variety of food products (nâ¯=â¯522) purchased from the Belgian market and their dietary intake in Belgian consumers from 15â¯years old onwards. THI was found to be present in 22.4% of the investigated foods at a level up to 551â¯Âµg/kg. For 4-MEI (57.7% quantifiable), concentrations up to 2,835â¯Âµg/kg were observed. The average dietary intake amounted to 0.02-0.36â¯Âµgâ¯kgâ1â¯bwâ1â¯day for THI and 0.4-3.7â¯Âµgâ¯kgâ1â¯bwâ1â¯day for 4-MEI. Coffee, cola and beer were contributing most to the dietary THI and 4-MEI intake in Belgium.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry
Authors
T. Fierens, M. Van Holderbeke, C. Cornelis, G. Jacobs, I. Sioen, M. De Maeyer, C. Vinkx, G. Vanermen,