Evaluating the chemical and metal contamination of commercial Rakı, a grape-based alcoholic beverage from Turkey

Ahmed Menevseoglu,Turgut Cabaroglu

doi:10.20870/oeno-one.2021.55.3.4669

Ahmed Menevseoglu, Turgut Cabaroglu

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.20870/oeno-one.2021.55.3.4669

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Journal: OENO One	Publication Date: Sep 9, 2021
License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Gümüşhane University, Cukurova University

Abstract

Turkish Rakı is one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages in Turkey. The chemical and metal contamination of alcoholic beverages is a threat to human health and lowers the quality of the product. Ethyl carbamate and furfural are carcinogenic to animals, and have been classified as Group 2A and 3 agents respectively by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Factors, such as raw materials, process time and storage, affect metal concentrations in beverages. Limits for chemicals and metals in Rakı have not yet been established by the Turkish agency. The present study aimed to evaluate the chemical and metal contamination of commercial Turkish Rakı. Thirty-seven different types of Turkish Rakı were purchased from local markets in Turkey. Ethyl carbamate (EC) and furfural (FR) levels were measured by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). Arsenic, copper, lead, and zinc levels were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma–Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). None of the Rakı samples contained EC. Furfural was not detected in commercial Rakı samples but only in illegal Rakı samples. Ethanol and methanol levels complied with Turkish regulation. Our data shows that commercial Rakı from Turkey was contaminated by very low amounts of arsenic (<LOD–0.02 mg/L), copper (0.05–0.41 mg/L), lead (< LOD–0.03 mg/L) and zinc (0.01–0.39 mg/L).

Highlights

Rakı is a double distilled, traditional aniseed spirit, one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages produced in Turkey (Darici et al, 2019)
A Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GCMS) technique was used following a method modified from Bortoletto and Alcarde (2016)
High concentrations of Ethyl carbamate (EC) are generally found in stone-fruit alcoholic beverages produced from, for example, sour cherry and plum, because the process of breaking stones can initiate the formation of amygdalin-derived ethyl carbamate (Deak et al, 2010)

Summary

Introduction

Rakı is a double distilled, traditional aniseed spirit, one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages produced in Turkey (Darici et al, 2019). Rakı was accorded Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office in 2009 (TPI, 2009). In accordance with this PDO document and the Turkish Food Codex Communiqué on Distilled Alcoholic Beverage (TFC, 2017), Rakı is produced by distilling Suma (grape distillate) with aniseed (only Pimpinella anisum) in a traditional copper pot still. Rakı is one of the most adulterated alcoholic beverages in Turkey It is often mixed with ethyl alcohol, methanol, water, sugar, and aniseed aroma to increase the profit margin. While the addition of methanol to alcoholic beverages can cause many health problems, other types of chemical and metal contamination can be carcinogenic to humans, and their high consumption can cause the same or worse problems as methanol does (Lachenmeier et al, 2011)

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