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Abstract

Gas chromatography with a purge and trap apparatus was used to study the effects of benzene formation in mixtures of ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate. Ascorbic acid, sodium benzoate, citric acid, free radical scavenger,metal chelator, metal ion and hydroxyl radical were found to have inductive or inhibitive effects on benzene formation individually. On the eighth storage day, with one component's concentration constant, the benzene content in the mixture increased as the concentration of the other component increased but, after reaching a certain concentration, the benzene content decreased gradually. The results showed that citric acid, free radical scavenger and metal chelator had inhibitory effects on benzene formatlon. However, at the beginning, the hydroxy radical and metal ion had an inductive effect on benzene formation as their concentrations increased but, after concentration levels reached to a certain point, the effect on benzene formation reversed. Samples of oragne juice, apple juice and pizza sauce mixed with sodium benzoate all showed no significant effect on benzene formation, and the sample of apple juice plus citric acid also showed no significant effect on benzene formation.

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