ABSTRACT
The determination of cations and anions in a variety of
different food samples is an essential topic in food
chemistry. Reliable data are important for food
industries with respect to product quality, for govern-
mental authorities from a regulatory perspective, and
for the consumer who is more and more interested in
health issues related to food quality and composition.
The knowledge about the presence and the concentra-
tion of cations and anions is relevant from different
points of view, including nutritional, toxicological
as well as food adulteration aspects. Starting with anionic solutes, sulfur species like
sulfite and sulfate are often found in foods and
beverage samples. Sulfite is often used as a preservative
due to its characteristics as an antimicrobial agent, an
antioxidant, and a browning inhibitor. The ingestion
of sulfite-containing foods may cause asthmatic reac-
tions, so sulfite concentrations over 10mg/kg have to
be declared according to the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (1). Amounts of sulfate found in food
products are also often affected by the technological
use of sulfite. Phosphates and polyphosphates play an important
role in biology. They are, for example, employed as
food acidulants. Polyphosphates are commonly used
as additives, e.g., in meat, fruit, juice, and cheese. Total
