Loss of chloride in the official method for the determination of sodium chloride in cereal foods.

The official final action method for sodium chloride in cereal foods, 14.129, was found to give erroneously low results because of loss of chloride during ashing. Comparison of the data with values obtained by the official first action potentiometric method, 32.A01-32.A06, which does not require ashing, showed that large and variable losses of chloride occurred. Official ashing methods for other foods specify addition of sodium carbonate to prevent conversion of chloride to volatile forms, but this was not specified in 14.129. In the present study it was found that sodium carbonate did not completely prevent loss of chloride. The official first action potentiometric method, 32.A01-32.A06, has been adopted as official first action for the determination of chloride in cereal foods to replace 14.129, which was repealed, official first action. A cross-reference to 32.A01-32.A06 has been added to 14.096.