CAFFEINE AND QUININE IN SOFT DRINKS; CONTRIBUTION TO THE DIETARY INTAKE

Introduction: soft drinks are becoming increasingly consumed by society. They are composed by a great variety of components, some of which can produce adverse effects if they are frequently consumed in high levels. Objectives: determine caffeine and quinine concentration to prove that those concentration levels are lower than the legal limits allowed and calculate the contribution to dietary intake to obtain the Estimated Daily Intake. Methods: levels of caffeine and quinine of the main brands of soft drinks were analyzed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography technique. Results: concentrations were obtained for all brands, and the medium level was estimated. Conclusions: it has been observed that in any case the maximum concentration limits are exceeded and the contribution to dietary intake doesn't mean adverse reaction.