As the determination of the exact content of individual glycerides in fats and oils is difficult and time-consuming, several fat sum parameters or fat indices are used for the characterization and quality control of fats and oils. Fats and oils are not only essential for cooking, they are also an important ingredient in pharmaceuticals and personal care products, such as ointments and creams. Consequently, several norms and standards describe the determination of the most important quality control parameters. This Application Bulletin describes eight important analytical methods for the following fat parameters in edible oils and fats:
- Determination of water content in accordance with the Karl Fischer method
- Oxidation stability in accordance with the Rancimat method
- Iodine value
- Peroxide value
- Saponification value
- Acid value, free fatty acids (FFA)
- Hydroxyl number
- Traces of nickel using polarography
Special care is taken to avoid chlorinated solvents in these methods. Also, as many of the mentioned methods as possible are automated.
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