SELECTED FOOD ADDITIVES COMPOSITION IN BEVERAGES COMMONLY CONSUMED IN AFIKPO, SOUTH EAST, NIGERIA

Abstract

A rapid and simple UV spectrophotometric procedure were applied for the evaluation of levels of the composition of some food additives (aspartame, saccharin, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate) in twenty (20) different beverages commercially available in south eastern part of Nigeria. The determinations were undertaken primarily to assess the compliance of composition levels of the investigated food additives with the World Health Organization (WHO) permissible levels. The results obtained from this study indicated that the composition levels of most of the studied food additives were within the maximum permissible levels. The findings of this study suggest that moderate consumption of these beverages is less likely to pose health risk associated with consumption of these additives in consumers.