Content-related quality control of water- and fat-soluble vitamins in fortified non-alcoholic beverages

Temova Rakuša, Žane (author), Roškar, Robert (author)

Background/Objectives: Vitamin-fortified non-alcoholic beverages (VFNABs) are rising in popularity and availability. However, owing to their regulation as foods, there are also growing quality and safety concerns. Therefore, we aimed to provide an overview of the content-related quality of VFNABs on the Slovenian market. Methods: Vitamin contents in 50 VFNABs (29 waters, 5 juices, 12 energy drinks, and 4 instant drinks) were determined using validated methods based on liquid chromatography. Results: The results revealed several quality issues, which were determined in all four VFNAB types. These included an indication of at least one vitamin, present in a lower-than-significant amount, on the nutrition declaration in 64% of the tested VFNABs and vitamin contents outside the tolerance interval (65–150% of the label claim) in almost half of the cases (48.4%, n = 244). Since the disclosed quality issues are not only a reason for the misleading of consumers but may also pose safety risks for both individuals and public health, we further performed an overall assessment of the VFNABs as vitamin sources. The results revealed that the tested VFNABs not only fully cover but in several cases considerably exceed daily vitamin needs (up to 616% of the reference values), an effect which is further accentuated in children. Conclusions: The performed content-related quality control study undoubtedly highlight the need for stricter quality control and regulation and can be utilized as a foundation and recommendation for the manufacturers in terms of committing to and pursuing the production of VFNABs.

• Language: English
• Keywords: energy drink, fortified food, HPLC, instant drink, juice, label claim, LC-MS, nutrition declaration, vitamin content, vitamin fortified water
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FFA - Faculty of Pharmacy
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 17 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 16, iss. 22, [article no.] 3872
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-164880
• UDC: 641.87:663.81
• ISSN on article: 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu16223872
• COBISS.SI-ID: 215092483
• Publication date in RUL: 15.11.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Nutrients
• Shortened title: Nutrients
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2072-6643
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2948140

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: energijska pijača, obogatena hrana, HPLC, instant pijača, sok, zahtevek za oznako, LC-MS, označba hranilne vrednosti, vsebnost vitaminov, vitaminsko obogatena voda, sadni sokovi

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P1-0189
• Name: Farmacevtska tehnologija: od dostavnih sistemov učinkovin do terapijskih izidov zdravil pri otrocih in starostnikih