The food additive sorbic acid is considered as an effective preservative for certain cereal products, and propionic acid is commonly added in bakery wares, e.g., bread and fine bakery wares. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) method for the routine screening and quantification of sorbic and propionic acids in bread and several bakery products for quality control purposes. Results showed that none of the screened samples contained higher concentrations than regulatory maximum limits. However, for some samples, labelling of preservatives was lacking or they were used in food categories, for which the use is not approved. It can be concluded that the developed NMR method can be used for the routine screening of bakery products.
Keywords: NMR spectroscopy; bread; propionic acid; quality control; sorbic acid.