Determination of Acetaldehyde

Determination of acetaldehyde concentration in foodstuff with gas chromatography

Biohit service laboratory offers analyses of carcinogenic acetaldehyde in foodstuff and non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages.

If you wish to send an example to be analyzed in Biohit laboratory please contact: info(at)biohit.fi

Acetaldehyde in foods

Acetaldehyde is a commonly used substance with an apple fragrance and amply present in nature. Hundreds of tons of the chemical are manufactured annually for use by industry.
In particular, acetaldehyde is abundantly present in foods whose manufacture includes a fermentation process, such as alcoholic beverages, vinegar, dairy products, home brewed beer and mead.

Thanks to its pleasant smell, acetaldehyde is used as flavoring in yogurts, sweets, desserts, pastries, soft drinks, fruit juices and alcoholic beverages.

In addition, acetaldehyde can be formed endogenously in some fruits, such as apples, pears and berries, and can also be used as a fruit preservative.

Since exposure to acetaldehyde is cumulative, exposure should be avoided at all levels. The easiest way to do this is to intervene in the acetaldehyde contained in alcoholic beverages and foods. The market already contains alcoholic beverages and other foodstuffs with an acetaldehyde concentration below the safety limit or close to zero.

Acetaldehyde Group I human carcinogen

In October 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which forms part of the World Health Organization, classified acetaldehyde included in and generated endogenously from alcoholic beverages as a Group I human carcinogen. Acetaldehyde belongs to the same risk class as, for example, asbestos and tobacco.

Specific microbes (bacteria and yeasts) in the gastrointestinal tract are the most important source of acetaldehyde exposure to the human body. These microbes produce acetaldehyde from alcohol and, in certain circumstances, from sugar. Unlike the liver, the microbes and the intestinal mucosa cannot remove the acetaldehyde, and due to the effect of alcohol, an abundance of acetaldehyde accumulates in the saliva and elsewhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Acetaldehyde is a substance that accumulates in the body from several sources, continuous exposure to it thereby severely increasing the risk of cancer to various organs.