Liquid chromatographic determination of ascorbic acid in foods

Ascorbic acid has been determined quantitatively in a variety of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, fresh and fortified canned juices, and powdered drinks by liquid chromatography (LC). The method consists of blending the sample in a solution of 0.05% EDTA in 0.2N H2SO4, centrifuging or filtering the mixture, then injecting a portion into the LC system. An Aminex HPX-87 LC column was used with 0.009N H2SO4 as solvent with a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. Detection was at 245 nm. The method is simple and sensitive, and yields a high recovery. It compares favorably with the AOAC method, and has the advantage of being more accurate for samples with interfering pigments.