WAJULLI SETH 10890714

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA

DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCE

FOSC 401

PRACTICAL TWO (2)

30TH OCTOBER, 2023

TITLE: DETERMINATION OF THE TOTAL ACIDITY AND PH IN FOODS AND THE

ANALYSIS OF FRUIT JUICES

NAME: WAJULLI SETH

10890714

GROUP FOUR (4)

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INTRODUCTION

Food's basic characteristics, such as acidity, affect its flavor, texture, and shelf life

(Pasqualone, 2021). The main cause of it, is the existence of organic acids, which are

frequently present in a variety of food products and include citric acid, lactic acid, and acetic

acid (Das & Pandit, 2021). The total concentration of titratable acids in a food sample is

called total acidity, also referred to as titratable acidity (Nielsen, 2017). Usually, it is stated as

a percentage of a particular acid, like lactic acid or citric acid. On a scale of 0 to 14, pH, on

the other hand, indicates how acidic or alkaline a substance is (Roonasi, 2017). While a pH of

7 is regarded as neutral, values lower than 7 denote acidity, and values higher than 7 denote

alkalinity.

Food samples are titrated using a standardized alkaline solution, usually sodium hydroxide

(NaOH), to determine the overall acidity of the food (Kurniawan & Widodo, 2023). Using a

pH meter or other appropriate indicator, the titration's endpoint is found. The total acidity of

the sample is subsequently determined using the quantity of NaOH required to reach the

endpoint (Kuliyev et al., 2023).

Fruit juices are widely consumed around the world as a beverage. They are abundant in

vitamins, minerals, and other healthy ingredients. Fruit juices' flavor, color, nutritional

content, and microbiological safety are among the factors that affect their quality (Taylor,

2016).

A number of factors are assessed when analyzing fruit juices, such as pH, total acidity, sugar

content, vitamin C content, and microbial contamination. Fruit juices' flavor, stability, and

shelf life are all influenced by two very important factors: pH and total acidity (Millan-Sango

& Valdramidis, 2018).

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The determination of total acidity and pH has significant implications or impact in the food

industry. It plays an essential role in:

1. Quality Control: To guarantee that food products are of a constant quality, it is crucial to

monitor and maintain consistent levels of acidity.

2. Preservation: By preventing microorganisms from growing, acidity helps to preserve food

items.

3. Sensory Features: Food products' texture and flavor are impacted by acidity.

4. Nutritional Value: Minerals and vitamins with a particular pH are more stable.

5. Shelf Life: The pH and acidity of food items can have an impact on their shelf life.

6. Process Control: Ensuring consistency and safety of the final product during food

processing requires careful monitoring of acidity and pH.

In the field of food science, it is critical to comprehend acidity and how it affects different

facets of food quality (Ahn et al., 2020). Food's basic property of acidity has a major impact

on its flavor, texture, shelf life, and general quality. Food analysis and quality control heavily

rely on the determination of total acidity and pH, two closely related measures of acidity

(GOULD & GOULD, 2001).

AIMS

1. To ascertain the pH and overall acidity of different food samples.

2. To look into the connection between food's sensory qualities, pH, and overall acidity.

3. To evaluate how pH and total acidity affect food products' stability and shelf life.

4. To create and verify analytical techniques for figuring out the pH and overall acidity of

food samples.

5. To assess fruit juices' safety and quality by using knowledge of pH and total acidity.
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OBJECTIVES

1. To use titration techniques to determine the overall acidity of different food samples.

2. To measure the pH of food samples with pH meters or other indicators, and to

establish a relationship between total acidity and pH levels and the flavor, texture, and

look of food items.

3. Establishing and validating standard operating procedures for the measurement of

total acidity and pH in fruit juices, as well as assessing the impact of these parameters

on the rate of microbial growth and enzymatic reactions in food.

4. To evaluate and contrast the pH and overall acidity of fruit juices sold commercially

with industry norms.

5. To evaluate how fruit juice handling, storage, and processing conditions affect the pH

and overall acidity of the juice.

6. To use pH and total acidity levels to detect possible adulteration or spoiling of fruit

juices.

7. To provide recommendations for methods of ensuring that fruit juices have constant

pH and total acidity levels in order to guarantee their safety and quality, as well as to

help develop quality control protocols and legal requirements for the production of

fruit juice.

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MATERIALS AND REAGENTS

Celite

Phenolphthalein

Cresol red

Sodium hydroxide

Orange and other fruit juices

Selected food beverages

Burette

Pipette

Indophenol dye

Oxalic acid

Volumetric flask

Beaker

PROCEDURE

The procedure of the experiment was followed as stated in the University of Ghana,

Department of Nutrition and Food Science Laboratory Manual on food science, Level 400,

2023/ 2024, Pages 14- 17.

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RESULTS

The tables below display the results after the various procedures were completed.

Table 1.0:

As(average) TTA (average)

Samples pH(average) Brix(average) /ml /ml

Corn dough 3.60 0.43 0.60 6.08

Tomato Juice 4.20 3.20 0.90 3.50

Tomato Paste 3.89 2.47 1.93 1.50

Pineapple
juice 4.17 14.30 1.10 2.20

Kalyppo
Pineapple 2.98 9.93 1.50 2.97

Garden egg
juice 5.54 2.97 0.97 0.73

Multifruit
juice 3.28 10.20 1.57 3.00

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Key: As(average)= Ascorbic acid titre value, TTA (average)=Total Titratable acid titre value

Table 2.0:

Dye Juice As acid /100 ml

Samples As(average) equivalent dilution juice

Corn dough 0.433 0.188 0.200 0.016

Tomato Juice 0.900 0.188 0.200 0.034

Tomato Paste 1.930 0.188 0.200 0.073

Pineapple
juice 1.100 0.188 0.200 0.041

Kalyppo
Pineapple 1.500 0.188 0.200 0.056

Garden egg
juice 0.970 0.188 0.200 0.036

Multifruit
juice 1.570 0.188 0.200 0.059

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Table 3.0:

Ti
tr %
Predomi Acid e/ Tota
nant Eq. Normality m Volume of l
S Acid wt. /g of NaOH l sample / ml acid

C 6.
. Lactic 0
D Acid 90.08 0.10 8 10.00 0.55

T 3.
. Citric 5
J Acid 70.00 0.10 0 5.00 0.49

T 1.
. Citric 5
P Acid 70.00 0.10 0 5.00 0.21

P 2.
. Citric 2
J Acid 70.00 0.10 0 5.00 0.31

K 2.
. Citric 9
P Acid 70.00 0.10 7 5.00 0.42

G
.
E 0.
. Oxalic 7
J Acid 63.00 0.10 3 5.00 0.09

M 3.
. Citric 0
J Acid 70.00 0.10 0 5.00 0.42

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Key: S=sample, C.D=corn dough, T.J= Tomato juice, T.P= Tomato paste, P.J= Pineapple juice,
K.P= Kalyppo pineapple, G.E.J= Garden Egg Juice, M.J= Multifruit juice

DISCUSSION

Variations in acidity are indicated by the samples' pH values, which ranges from 2.98 to

5.54. Food sample acidity or alkalinity can be determined in large part by measuring its

pH. Neutrality is defined as a pH of 7, while acidity is defined as a pH below 7 and

alkalinity as a pH above 7 (Lahav et al., 2001).

• Corn dough: Packed with the most acidity, the corn dough has the lowest pH of all the

samples. Ascorbic acid had the lowest value of 0.43, sugar content (brix value) of

0.67, and an average total acid value of 6.07; these are likely caused by the presence

of lactic acid, which is produced by bacteria during the fermentation process (Padhi et

al., 2022).

• Tomato Juice: The tomato juice has a pH of 4.20, which is slightly acidic. This is due

to the presence of citric acid and malic acid, which are naturally occurring acids in

tomatoes (Sale, 1946). The brix value was also 3.20 and had the second least ascorbic

acid value of 0.90 and a total acid value of 3.50.

• Tomato Paste: The tomato paste has a pH of 3.89, which is slightly more acidic than

the tomato juice. This is because tomato paste is made by concentrating tomato puree

(Tanweer Alam and GK Goyal, 2007), which removes some of the water and leaves

behind a higher concentration of acids and contains citric acid with sugar content of

2.47, an ascorbic acid value of 1.93 and a total acid value of 1.50.

• Pineapple juice: The pineapple juice has a pH of 4.17, which is slightly acidic. This is

due to the presence of citric acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). It also contained

14.30 sugar, ascorbic acid value of 1.10 and a total acid value of 2.20 ("Congenital

porcine ascorbic acid, vitamin C, deficiency," 2022).

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• Kalyppo Pineapple: The Kalyppo pineapple has a pH of 2.98, which is the most acidic

of all the pineapple samples. This is likely due to the addition of citric acid or other

acids to the beverage (Kuforiji et al., 2010). It also contained 9.93 sugar and an

ascorbic acid value of 1.50 and its total acid content being 2.97.

• Garden egg juice: The garden egg juice has a pH of 5.54, which is slightly alkaline.

This is unusual for a fruit juice, as most fruit juices are acidic. The alkalinity of the

garden egg juice may be due to the presence of other compounds, such as potassium

or magnesium and contains oxalic acid (Salomão, 2018), with its sugar content,

ascorbic acid value and the total acid value being 2.97, 0.97, and 0.73 respectively.

• Multifruit juice: The multifruit juice has a pH of 3.28, which is acidic. This is likely

due to the presence of citric acid and other acids from the various fruits in the juice

(Penniston et al., 2008). It also has an ascorbic acid content being 1.57, sugar content

being 10.20 and the total acid also being 3.00.

Based on table 2 above, corn dough had the lowest ascorbic acid value which also influenced

its ascorbic acid value per 100ml sample since they all had the same juice dilution factor and

equal dye equivalence. Tomato juice had the second least ascorbic acid value and ascorbic

acid value per 100ml juice. Tomato paste also had the highest ascorbic acid value and the

highest ascorbic acid value per 100ml sample with multifruit and kalyppo pineapple having

ascorbic acid values being 1.57 and 1.50 respectively influencing its ascorbic acid per 100ml

value to become 0.059 and 0.056 respectively.

From the table 3 above, based on their acids present as well as their predominant acids

present in them, different acid weights were recorded with others having the same weight, of

which caused an influence on the percentage of the total acid present. Corn dough contained

lactic acid having the highest weight of 90g and a titre value of 6.08 having a total volume of

10ml thereby influencing its total acid percentage, being 0.55(the highest).Garden egg juice

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also had the lowest weight of 63g and a titre value of 0.73, volume 5.0ml and a total acid

percentage of

0.09 (being the least). The remaining juice or samples had the same volumes of 5.0ml and

acid weight of 70g. This affected their acid values and had total acid percentage ranging from

0.21-

0.49.

CONCLUSION

To conclude, the tables provide extensive information about the characteristics and makeup of

various food samples. The observations can be useful in determining if these samples are

appropriate for use in food manufacturing, quality control, or nutritional analysis, among

other applications. Based on the unique qualities and composition of various food products,

researchers and food manufacturers can utilize this data to make well-informed judgments

about the selection and usage of these products of which includes knowing the acidity or

alkalinity, the total acids present, the ascorbic acid present and their sugar content (brix value)

as provided from the tables above.

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REFERENCE

Ahn, S., Goldstein, J., Baker, G., & Krug, M. (2020). How to start a food business: Basic

food technology: Food acidity. EDIS, 2020(2). [Link]

Congenital porcine ascorbic acid, vitamin C, deficiency. (2022). CABI Compendium.

[Link]

Das, D., & Pandit, S. (2021). Citric acid, lactic acid, and acetic acid production. Industrial

Biotechnology, 229-254. [Link]

GOULD, W. A., & GOULD, R. W. (2001). Total acidity and pH. Total Quality Assurance for

the Food Industries, 383-395. [Link]

Kuforiji, O., Kuboye, A., & Odunfa, S. (2010). Orange and pineapple wastes as potential

substrates for citric acid production. International Journal of Plant Biology, 1(1), e4.

[Link]

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Kuliyev, S., Tas, Y. E., & Cogenli, M. S. (2023). Control of co2 absorption by NaOH solution

using pH, conductivity and titration measurements. Chemical Problems, 21(2), 123-131.

[Link]

Kurniawan, T. T., & Widodo, E. (2023). Experimental study on Sansivera composite fibers

Againts the administration of alkaline NaOH (Sodium hydroxide).

[Link]

Lahav, O., Morgan, B., & Loewenthal,, R. (2001). Measurement of pH, alkalinity and acidity

in ultra-soft waters. Water SA, 27(4). [Link]

Millan-Sango, D., & Valdramidis, V. P. (2018). Quantitative assessment of the shelf life of

fruit juices. Fruit Juices, 557-569. [Link]

Nielsen, S. S. (2017). Food analysis. Springer.

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Padhi, S., Sharma, S., Sahoo, D., Montet, D., & Rai, A. K. (2022). Potential of lactic acid

bacteria as starter cultures for food fermentation and as producers of biochemicals for value

addition. Lactic Acid Bacteria in Food Biotechnology, 281-304. [Link]

0-323-89875-1.00009-2

Pasqualone, A. (2021). Review for "Compositional characteristics, texture, shelf‐life and

sensory quality of snack crackers produced from non‐traditional ingredients".

[Link]

Penniston, K. L., Nakada, S. Y., Holmes, R. P., & Assimos, D. G. (2008). Quantitative

assessment of citric acid in lemon juice, lime juice, and commercially-available fruit juice

products. Journal of Endourology, 22(3), 567-570. [Link]

Roonasi, P. (2017). undefined. DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, 217-224.

[Link]

Sale, J. W. (1946). Ascorbic acid in tomatoes and tomato juice 1942-1943 seasons. Journal of

AOAC INTERNATIONAL, 29(1), 69-75. [Link]

Salomão, B. D. (2018). Pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in fruit juice. Fruit Juices,

291-308. [Link]

Salomão, B. D. (2018). Pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in fruit juice. Fruit Juices,

291-308. [Link]

Tanweer Alam and GK Goyal. (2007). Packaging and storage of tomato puree and paste.

Stewart Postharvest Review, 3(5), 1-8. [Link]

Taylor, B. (2016). undefined. Chemistry and Technology of Soft Drinks and Fruit Juices,

88125. [Link]

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APPENDIX

ASCORBIC ACID DETERMINATION CALCULATIONS

FORMULAR= ASCORBIC ACID (AVERAGEA) *DYE EQUIVALENCE * DILUTION

FACTOR

CORN DOUGH = 0.433*0.188*0.200

=0.016

TOMATO JUICE= 0.900*0.188*0.200

= 0.034

TOMATO PASTE = 1.930*0.188*0.200

= 0.073

PINEAPPLE JUICE = 1.100*0.188*0.200

= 0.041

KALYPPO PINEAPPLE = 1.500*0.188*0.200

=0.056

GARDEN EGG JUICE = 0.970*0.188*0.200

= 0.036

MULTIFRUIT JUICE = 1.570*0.188*0.200

= 0.059

TOTAL ACID DETERMINATION CALCULATION

% Total acid = 1/10 * equivalent weight of acid* NaOH normal* titer / volume of sample

CORN DOUGH = 1/10 * 90.08 * 0.100 * 6.08 / 10.00

= 0.55

TOMATO JUICE = 1/10 * 70.00 * 0.100 * 3.50 / 5.00

= 0.49

TOMATO PASTE = 1/10 * 70.00 * 0.100 * 1.50 / 5.00

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= 0.21

PINEAPPLE JUICE = 1/10 * 70.00 * 0.100 * 2.20 / 5.00

= 0.31

KALYPPO PINEAPPLE = 1/10 * 70.00 * 0.100 * 2.97 / 5.00

= 0.42

GARDEN EGG JUICE = 1/10 * 63.00 * 0.100 * 0.73 / 5.00

= 0.09

MULTIFRUIT JUICE = 1/10 * 70.00 * 0.100 * 3.00 / 5.00

= 0.42

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