Risk Assessment of Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, and Propionic Acid in Vegetarian Festival Foods in Trang Province

Abstract

The vegetarian festival is one of the most important events in Trang Province. The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk assessment of preservatives within food products associated with the Vegetarian Festival. This study was conducted to analyze preservatives, including benzoic acid, sorbic acid, and propionic acid, in vegetarian foods such as tofu, textured vegetable protein, and bakery products during the Vegetarian Festival. A total of 81 samples, collected in 2020, 2022, and 2024, were analyzed using the HPLC method. Risk assessment was performed by comparing the estimated intake of each preservative with the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI). The results presented that tofu samples were contained benzoic acid in 14 samples (87.5%) and sorbic acid in 12 samples (12.5%). Textured vegetable proteins were found benzoic acid in 33 samples (67.3%) and sorbic acid in 10 samples (20.4%). Bakery products were found benzoic acid in 16 samples (100%), sorbic acid in 5 samples (31.3%) and propionic acid in 10 samples (43.8%). Exposure assessments for benzoic and sorbic acids in vegetarian festival foods indicated that estimated intakes did not exceed the ADI, even at the 97.5th percentile level. The highest contribution to the ADI for benzoic acid was observed in tofu samples, while the minimum contribution was found in textured vegetable protein. In addition, the highest contribution to the ADI for sorbic acid was observed in textured vegetable protein, while the minimum contribution was found in bakery. In contrast, the risk assessment of propionic acid exposure in bakery products was limited due to the absence of established ADI value. Therefore, consumers who consume a vegetarian diet are protected from exposure to benzoic and sorbic acids.