SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF SODIUM BENZOATE IN SOME SOFT DRINKS COLLECTED FROM SOME LOCAL MARKETS IN EL-BIEDA CITY - LIBYA

Abstract

Sodium benzoate is often used as a preservative of food and beverages. The aim of this work is to determine the content levels of sodium benzoate in different samples of soft drinks commercially available in local markets in El-Beida city-Libya by rapid and simple UV spectrophotometric methods. Samples under study was divided into two part: Libyan products and imported. The results obtained from this study indicated that the quantity levels of sodium benzoate in the analyzed samples were in the range of 131.9269 – 278.8285 ppm for the Libyan products samples. Whereas its concentrations in the imported samples were in the range of 230.7044 - 357.3124 ppm. The minimum sodium benzoate level was observed in the Sabaa/Benghazi- Libya sample (131.9269 ppm), while the Mirinda/Dubai - United Arab Emirates sample showed the highest sodium benzoate content (357.3124 ppm). The sodium benzoate content in all the samples analyzed in this study are below the allowable limits according to international standards and specifications of the World Health Organization (WHO).