RESUMO
A rapid, precise and low cost method for saccharin determination in dietary products is proposed. Saccharin in several samples is potentiometrically titrated with mercurous nitrate solution using a silver wire coated with a metallic mercury film as the working electrode, and the end point was found using a Gran's plot. The detection limit of sodium saccharin was 0.5 mg/ml and the best pH range was from 2.0 to 3.5. Sucrose, glucose, aspartame, sodium cyclamate, sorbitol, fructose, benzoic acid, salicylic acid and lactose do not interfere even in significant amounts. The interference due to the presence of chloride and/or phosphate ions can be eliminated by previous solvent extraction of this sweetener. Recovery of saccharin from various dietary products gave from 95.2 to 103.2% of the label claim.
