Validation of the SafTest Percent Fat for the Measurement of the Fat Content of Meat Meals, Fish Meal, and Potato Chips, Crackers, and Other and Grain-Based Snack Products: AOAC Performance Tested MethodSM #082004.

Abstract

The Official American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS) Standard Procedure Aa 4-38, AOCS Standard Procedure Am 5-04, ISO 11085:2015, and similar methods are based on extraction of fats from food products using organic solvents. These methods require large volumes of organic solvents and up to 18-hour extractions. The SafTest Percent Fat measures fat content as "total triglycerides" in solubilized snack products and meals using micro-analytical and membrane separation principles. The study objective is to validate the SafTest Percent Fat in an internal study and an independent laboratory study. Comparability to AOCS Standard Procedure Aa 4-38 or AOCS Standard Procedure Am 5-04, LOQ, selectivity, robustness, stability, and consistency were determined. Mean recoveries from replicate analyses of SafTest control samples at three concentrations yielded 101 to 103%. The relative standard deviations of repeatability (RSDr) were below 5%. Studies of meat meals and snacks analyzed using the SafTest Percent Fat demonstrated RSDr of 2.3 to 5.6% compared to 2.6 to 4.9% for AOCS Aa 4-38. The method demonstrated average recoveries ranging from 88.8 to 116.2% compared to the AOCS methods results performed in two contract laboratory studies and an independent laboratory validation. The SafTest Percent Fat test can determine fat content in meals and snack matrices with accuracy and precision comparable to results from AOCS Aa 4-38 and AOCS Am 5-04. The SafTest Percent Fat test uses small reagent volumes, instrumental analysis, easy-to-use standardized procedures, and rapid analysis times for fat content determination.