Background and Objective: This research focuses on developing a novel, eco-friendly approach for measuring ethanol levels in food products and beverages in line with the ISO/IEC 17025 standard. Its significance stems from the growing demand for Halal-certified products in Islamic communities and concerns regarding the ethanol content in these products. Traditional methods of ethanol detection have been hindered by drawbacks such as the use of harmful solvents and reliance on costly equipment.
Materials and Methods: The study utilized an innovative method involving aqueous extraction with magnetic stirring, combined with gas chromatography featuring a flame ionization detector (GC-FID).
Results and Conclusion: The method demonstrated impressive results, including a low limit of detection (0.0003 mg/mL) and quantification (0.001 mg/mL), high linearity (R2 > 0.999), exceptional trueness (relative biases under 3%), outstanding accuracy (97-102% recoveries), and remarkable precision (RSD < 5%). These findings suggest that this method surpasses the AOAC 983.13 official method, particularly in analyzing solid matrices. Applied to 50 commercial food and beverage samples, the method accurately quantified ethanol levels. It detected ethanol concentrations exceeding the 0.5% permissible limit in four samples, while three samples - two vinegars and one fruit juice - hovered near this threshold. Based on a rigorous decision rule, ethanol levels in these samples were deemed to exceed the permissible limit. Overall, this study introduces a dependable and environmentally friendly technique for the quantitative analysis of ethanol in processed foods and beverages, crucial for verifying their compliance with Halal standards prior to certification.