A qualitative colorimetric test for brominated vegetable oil in soft drinks.

A simple and precise method of detecting brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in soft drinks is described. After extraction of BVO using diethyl ether, the concentrated ethereal solution was treated with a small quantity of zinc dust to convert the organic bromide to inorganic form; the solution was subsequently treated with lead dioxide to liberate bromine. The bromine evolved was detected by means of fluorescein-impregnated filter paper strip that turns pink because eosin is formed. The test can detect as low as 10 ppm (2 mg/200 ml) of BVO under experimental conditions. Gas chromatography was carried out on sodium methoxide derivatives prepared from ether extract for quantitation.