FAST AND SIMPLE METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF CALCIUM PROPIONATE AS PREVENTION OF FORMATION OF MYCOTOXINS IN BREAD SAMPLES BY HPLC

Background and Aim:Moldiness is one of the most common microbiological defects, found in bakery industry. It is estimated that approximately 1-5% of the bread production goes wrong due to fungi activity such as spergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium. Mold contamination determines not only changes in color, taste, but also loss of the food quality as a result of possible formation of mycotoxins. Propionic acid and propionates have been widely used in breads and cakes to prevent development of mold and bacteria. Therefore, a simple, accurate method for determination of propionic acid and propionates would be useful.The objective of the present work was the development and optimization of a sensitive, simple and fast method for determining propionates as propionic acid in some bread samples based on ultrasound-assisted extraction followed and HPLC-UV analysis for the first time in a bread sample and its effect on organoleptic properties of bread.Methods:A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was also developed and validated for comparison. In that bread, the quantity of pH and acidity were measured. Calibration curves of the five compounds ranged from 50-500.The detection limit of these compounds were determined by this method. Twenty-two bread samples from three markets were randomly selected and assayed for calcium propionate using the above developed methods.Results:Calibration curves of compounds achieved linearity .The detection limit of these compounds were 5ppm. The results showed that 14/30 samples contained calcium propionate<1000 mg/kg.Conclusion: It is necessary to regulate a periodic monitoring and control program to determine the amount of propionate in a variety of consumable breads.