Determination of Alcohol Content in Halal Beverages

Abstract or Introduction

The study involved the detection of the alcohol content of various market halal beverages products. The objectives of this study are to identify the food products that contain alcohol and to quantify the percentage of ethanol present. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) was used to screen the samples for detection of ethanol and further quantification. Samples were purchased from several hypermarkets in Kuantan. A total of 95 samples, including fermented and cultured beverages, carbonated drinks, juices and cordials, tea and coffee, energy drinks, colouring and flavourings, and vinegars were analyzed. Of the total number of samples screened, 58 were found to contain ethanol. The ethanol content in the samples ranged from 0.001% to 3.510%. The GC-MS method is proven to be an effective and reliable method for the detection of low alcohol concentrations by minimizing the loss of the ethanol compound during sample preparation and extraction. Ethanol is present due to natural fermentation of the product or added as solvent during production.