Determination of hydrocyanic acid by 1H-NMR
Analysis of cyanogenic glycosides in almonds, linseed & apricot kernels
April 2023. Hydrocyanic acid is a highly toxic substance that occurs in the form of cyanogenic glycosides in various foods such as almonds, linseed and apricot kernels. Regulation (EC) 1881/2006 sets maximum levels for the content of hydrocyanic acid in these foods. Compliance with these maximum levels can be reliably checked in a very short time using a newly developed method.
Cyanogenic glycosides and hydrocyanic acid
Hydrocyanic acid occurs naturally in various foods in the form of cyanogenic glycosides. These substances release highly toxic hydrocyanic acid when the food is chewed and digested. In particular, apricot kernels, bitter almonds and also linseed contain large amounts of cyanogenic glycosides and thus high levels of bound hydrocyanic acid.
Maximum levels for hydrocyanic acid
The maximum levels for hydrocyanic acid in apricot kernels, almonds, linseed and other foodstuffs are laid down in Regulation (EC) 1881/2006. In order to check if your product is compliant with these maximum levels, the content of cyanogenic acid should be determined by a suitable analytical method.
Direct analysis of cyanogenic glycosides
There are several established analytical methods for the determination of hydrocyanic acid, which all rely on the release of highly volatile hydrocyanic acid from the sample. The release of bound hydrocyanic acid can be dangerous and offers potential for error; in addition, these analyses require a great amount of time. For these reasons, we have developed an innovative method that allows the direct determination of cyanogenic glycosides. The analytes are extracted from the sample and then determined by quantitative 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The method allows to determine the contents in a very short time, while the results are consistent with those of established methods. We offer the determination of hydrocyanic acid in almonds, linseed and apricot kernels as an accredited method.
Contact us
If you would like to know more about hydrocyanic acid in food or have questions about our analytics, please contact your personal account manager or our expert Dr Ole Winkelmann.
