Validation of the Free Fatty Acid Test Kit for the Measurement of the Free Fatty Acid Content of Vegetable Oils, Fish Oils, Animal Fats (Tallows), Meat and Fish Meals, and Potato Chips and Grain-Based Snack Products: AOAC Performance Tested MethodSM 052004.

Abstract

The Official American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS) Ca 5a-40 method for the determination of free fatty acids is based on titration of an ethanolic solution and requires a large volume of organic solvents, large sample aliquots, and up to 18 hours extraction time for some samples. The SafTest Free Fatty Acid Test Kit is a rapid method designed to measure the free fatty acid content of vegetable oils; fish oil; animal fats (tallows); meat meal and fish meal products; and crackers, chips, and other processed grain-based snack products using micro-analytical and membrane separation principles. The study objective was to validate the SafTest Free Fatty Acid Test in one internal study, two contracted studies, and an independent laboratory study studies. Recovery, limit of quantitation, selectivity, robustness, stability, and consistency of the SafTest Free Fatty Acid Test were evaluated. Recoveries from control solutions ranged from 97 to 106%. Repeatability (RSDr) from method developer matrix studies ranged from 1.1 to 8.1%. Biases, expressed as a percentage recovery from AOCS Ca 5a-40, averaged 96.5% for olive oils, 94.0% for animal fats, and 103.9% for meat meals. Results observed in the independent laboratory study were similar. The SafTest Free Fatty Acid Test can measure free fatty acid levels in oils, fats, meal, and snack matrices with accuracy and precision comparable to AOCS Ca 5a-40. The SafTest Free Fatty Acid Test Kit has the advantage of using reagent volumes, instrumental analysis, and easy-to-use, standardized procedures with rapid detection times for the determination of free fatty acids.