Analytical validation study demonstrates reliable multi-class preservative quantification across six commercial food categories, highlighting a practical workflow for routine food safety testing.
A simple and efficient QuEChERS-HPLC-DAD method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of benzoic acid, sorbic acid, and eight parabens in diverse food matrices. The sample preparation procedure was systematically optimized by evaluating the extraction solvent composition, salting-out conditions, and dispersive solid-phase extraction clean-up to achieve satisfactory recoveries while minimizing matrix interferences. Chromatographic separation was accomplished using isocratic elution on a C18 column with dual-wavelength ultraviolet detection, enabling the simultaneous determination of both authorized preservatives and non-authorized parabens within a single analytical run. The validated method exhibited excellent linearity (R2 > 0.996), low to moderate matrix effects (within ±20%), satisfactory recoveries (79–112%), and good precision (RSD < 7.3%), meeting the performance criteria for routine residue analysis. The applicability of the method was demonstrated by analyzing commercial food samples from six food categories. Benzoic acid and sorbic acid were the most frequently detected preservatives, whereas only methylparaben and propylparaben were identified among the investigated parabens. No non-authorized parabens were detected in the analyzed samples. Owing to its simplicity and reliability, the proposed QuEChERS-HPLC-DAD method represents a practical analytical approach for routine multi-matrix monitoring of food preservatives in quality control and food safety laboratories.
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Huy et al. (2026) studied this question.
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