Quality and safety of commercial spirit vinegar in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela

Ensuring stability and physicochemical conformity in mass consumption inputs is decisive for food preservation. Under this premise, the overall objective of this study was to characterize the quality and safety of commercial spirit vinegar sold in Ciudad Bolívar, Bolívar State, under Venezuelan COVENIN standards. A quantitative research of descriptive level and evaluative-experimental design was conducted on 17 commercial brands selected through simple random sampling. The analytical framework encompassed the potentiometric determination of ionic acidity or pH, acid-base volumetric titration for total acidity, pycnometric density measurement at 20 °C, and the quantification of chloride ions using Mohr's method. The results revealed full 100% compliance among the samples regarding ionic acidity and chloride concentration, ensuring adequate microbiological stability and safety of the dilution water matrix. However, 35.3% of the brands failed to meet the regulated minimum total acidity limit of 5.0% (w/v), and 94.1% exhibited density deviations below the standard range of 1.005 g·mL⁻¹ to 1.013 g·mL⁻¹. In conclusion, a pronounced lack of industrial standardization stemming from excessive aqueous dilution during formulation is evident, which compromises the preservative capacity and commercial quality of the product in the regional market.