Surveillance of sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate preservatives in dairy products produced in Hamedan province, north west of Iran

The aim of this study was to consider the presence of sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate preservatives in 40 samples of UF cheese, 45 samples of yogurt, and 45 samples of Doogh (The Iranian traditional dairy drink) by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). All of the samples were collected from 14 different brands producing in dairy factories in Hamedan province in North West of Iran. The results showed that sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate were not detected in the yogurt and Doogh samples and the minimum and maximum concentration of preservative in various UF cheese brands were 239.68 and 534.26 mg/kg for benzoate and 101.59 and 996.29 mg/kg for sorbate, respectively. The mean and standard deviation of benzoate and sorbate in cheese samples were 366.73 ± 108.70 mg/kg and 499.56 ± 361.74 mg/kg, respectively. The results highlight the importance of a more rigorous monitoring of these preservatives due to the well-established carcinogenic and toxic effects of these chemicals by the public health authorities.