Gas chromatographic analysis of vegetables for chloroform

A simple and sensitive method for the determination of chloroform in vegeta bles was established by using a gas chromatograph equipped with an electron capture detector. The proposed method includes solvent trapping of chlorof orm, and gas chromatographic separation with a detection system. The recove ries of added chloroform in various vegetable samples were 96.7 and 109.3%, within 8.6% of the coefficient variation. The detection limit is 1 mug/kg. The procedure can be used to determine chloroform at low levels in a varie ty of foods including mayonnaise, fish, oil, and cream, as well as vegetabl es.