Trace Analysis of Vanillin in Tobacco

Vanillin is naturally occurring in a variety of products: vanilla, the primary source of natural vanillin, beer, grape brandy, roasted coffee, rum, strawberry, whiskey and tobacco. Vanillin, natural or synthetic, is frequently added to foods and beverages as an aroma chemical, and to tobacco products as well. The analytical method described allows quantitation of vanillin at ppm level in tobacco and tobacco products. The method is based on extraction, solid phase extraction clean-up, and high performance liquid chromatography with selective UV detection. The method was validated with respect to linearity, precision and recovery.