Studies on the Bömer Number. V.

Abstract

Fatty acids were obtained from 10 domestic lard (8 Yorkshire and 2 Berkshire), 10 beef tallow and 3 horse fat, and the fatty acid compositions were determined by gas chromatography and the Bomer number was compared. Similar test was also carried out with samples in which these were mixed in various ratios.1) The presence of pentadecanoic acid was not observed in lard. Beef tallow and horse fat contained this, and this can be detected particularly in beef tallow as its content is over 1%.2) There is considerable difference in fatty acid composition by the kind, and the C14/C16×100 ratio is between 3.56, and furthermore, it was above 10 in case beef tallow and horse fat. C18:3/ C18:1×100 is between 1.55 but the value for horse fat is between 1525. Consequently, detection is possible from these fatty acid ratios, when mixed over 20% beef tallow and over 10% horse fat in lard and the accuracy is better than the Bomer number.3) The ratio of C14+C16+C18/C18:2 is between 38 but beef tallow and horse fat can be distinguished only when they are 60 and 40%, respectively, hence the accuracy is less than that of the Bomer Method.4) C18:1/C18×100 ratio is between 0.93.5 in case of domestic lard and can be used for distinguishing from horse fat (1117), but it is not distinguishable from beef tallow(532). Also, C18/C18:2 cannot be used as it ranges 14, and also as the variance is great.