Analysis of beverages by capillary electrophoresis

Rapid analysis of carbonated beverages by capillary electrophoresis (CE) allows the simultaneous determination of aspartame, benzoic acid and caffeine in 2 min using 20 mM glycine buffer at pH 9.0 and direct detection at 215 nm. The rapid determination of these compounds with minimal sample preparation offers an excellent method for evaluating stability and shelf-life of commercial products. This method is easily adapted to the analysis of these substances in other aqueous-based consumer products.