Rapid and sensitive quantification of cyclamate in beverages by miniature microplasma optical emission spectrometry

Most of the available methods for the quantification of cyclamate depend on laboratory instruments and their application in the field was limited. Herein, a simple and sensitive method was developed for the determination of cyclamate in beverage samples based on chemical vapor generation and miniature point discharge optical emission spectrometry (mu PD-OES). The combination of headspace sampling and mu PD-OES not only simplifies the separation process of cyclamate, improves sensitivity, and alleviates matrix interference but also eliminates the use of a bulky and expensive instrument. Under the optimal conditions, this method provided a limit of detection of 0.1 mg L-1 comparable to or better than most reported methods. The method eventually was applied to 14 different beverages and cyclamate was found below the threshold set by Chinese Standards for Food Additives. The proposed method provides great potential for the field analysis of cyclamate in the supervision of food safety.

Automated summary

A simple and sensitive method was developed for the determination of cyclamate in beverage samples using chemical vapor generation and miniature point discharge optical emission spectrometry (μPD-OES). The method simplified the separation process, improved sensitivity, alleviated matrix interference, and eliminated the need for bulky and expensive instruments. The detection limit of 0.1 mg L-1 was comparable to or better than most reported methods. The method showed great potential for field analysis of cyclamate in food safety supervision.