Determination of Brominated Vegetable Oil in Soft Drinks by UPC2/MS

■ ■ High throughput analysis IN T RO DU C T IO N Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is often used as a weighting agent, or as a solubility-transmitter for citrus oils and other lipophilic compounds in soft drinks and beverages. Since lipophilic compounds are insoluble in water and their densities are lower than 1 g/cm, they would gradually separate from the aqueous phase. BVO has a much higher density (1.33 g/cm). By blending BVO with the lipophilic ingredients, the density can be adjusted close enough to 1 g/cm, and a stable emulsion can be formed. The U.S. FDA has established a BVO limit at 15 ppm in finished beverages, while many countries in Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia, have banned its use in beverages.