Die Weiterentwicklung der Codex Alimentarius Standards für Öle und Fette

Further Development of Codex Alimentarius Standards for Oils and Fats Further development of Codex Alimentarius standards for oils and fats, which was discussed at the 7th meeting of the Codex Committee in London, is reported. Limits of fatty acid composition of individual oils and fats, problems of solvent residues as well as the development of new standards for lowerucic rapeseed oil, low calorie spreads, coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil were discussed at the above meeting. It has already been realized that the Recommended Standards have a significant impact both on harmonization work within the European Community and international development of food legislation.     

Die Weiterentwicklung der Codex Alimentarius Standards für Öle und Fette

Further Development of Codex Alimentarius Standards for Oils and Fats A report is given on the further development of Codex Alimentarius Standards for oils and fats, which was discussed in the 9th meeting of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils from 28th November to 2nd December 1977 in London. Topics discussed were a collaborative report by FAO and WHO on the role of fats in human nutrition, the general standard for oils and fats, and standards for reduced fat margarine, low erucic acid rapeseed oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, babassu oil, grape seed oil as well as marine oils. Furthermore, the limits of fatty acid composition as criteria for identification of specific oils and fats were discussed.     

Die Codex Alimentarius Standards für Fette und Öle I

Codex Alimentarius Standards for Fats and Oils I A short introduction on the principles of Codex Alimentarius is given, which is being developed jointly by Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) under participation of 75 member states. In the meanwhile Recommended Standards for fats and oils have been laid down. They will be forwarded to governments for acceptance or rejection. Development of these standards is reported here and the most significant regulations are discussed. Some important Recommended Standards are presented in appendix in their English version.     

A simple,graphic procedure for authentication of commercial fats and oil based on fatty acid compositions in codex standards

It is likely that fatty acid compositions as derived by gas liquid chromatography will soon become one of the mandatory criteria for authentication of individual (unmodified) commercial fats and oils in the standards of the Food and Agriculture Organization/ World Health Organization’s Codex Alimentarius Committee on Fats and Oils. A simple graphical procedure for using the Codex Committee’s fatty acid composition standards to identify fats and oils has been devised and tested. Except for one sample, the fatty acid-based standards have not been found to conflict with some presently accepted mandatory standards (i.e, iodine value, refractive index, and saponification value).     

Codex alimentarius commission

The Codex Alimentarius Commission was established to facilitate international trade in foods through the development of specifications which assure the identity and quality of the item. The history, accomplishments and current status of Codex Alimentarius deliberations on fats and oils is reviewed through the Eleventh Meeting held in London during June 1980.     

Status on development of codex alimentarius standards for vegetable proteins

The Codex Alimentarius Commission was established in 1962 to implement the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program. The purpose is to protect the health of consumers, ensure fair practices in food trade, promote coordination of food standards, and to draft, finalize, and publish standards. At the Twelfth Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1978, the establishment of a Codex Committee on Vegetable Proteins was accepted. The terms of reference for the Committee are “to elaborate definitions and worldwide standards for vegetable protein products deriving from soyabeans, cottonseed, groundnuts, cereals, and from other vegetable sources as they come into use for human consumption; and to elaborate guidelines on utilization of such vegetable protein products in the food supply system, on nutritional requirements and safety, on labeling, and other aspects as may seem appropriate.” The first meeting of the Codex Committee on Vegetable Proteins was held in Ottawa, November 1980. The Committee considered proposed international standards for vegetable protein flours, concentrates and isolates; reviewed draft guidelines for the use of vegetable proteins in foods; and considered labeling declarations concerning the use of vegetable proteins in other foods. In preparation for a second meeting of the Committee, a future program of work was established.     

Fatty acid composition as a basis for identification of commercial fats and oils

Gas liquid chromatographic analyses of 200 samples of commercial fats and oils were compared to the standard ranges specified by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Codex Alimentarius Committee on Fats and Oils at its seventh session, London, England, March 25, 1974. Only six samples fell notably outside the standard ranges. On the basis of this information, the U.S. delegation is offering for consideration by the Committee at its next meeting a method for using the fatty acid composition of a fat or oil to determine its authenticity.     

Mischungen von Fetten und Ölen im internationalen Lebensmittelrecht und Einfluß der Harmonisierung in der EWG auf bundesdeutsches Recht

Blends of Fats and Oils in International Food Legislation and the Influence of EEC Harmonisation on German Federal Law Blends of fats and oils are of particular interest in terms of food legislation when milk fat is incorporated. In contrast to the existing standards of the Codex Alimentarius, the national legislation of each EEC member state contains far-reaching restrictions on this point which, however, are being or have been given up under the influence of the Cassis de Dijon judgement of the European Court of Justice. In 1988 France was the first EEC country to change its laws, the Federal Republic of Germany followed suit in 1990. At EEC level, the umbrella organisations of the dairy industry and the margarine industry have put forward suggestions for structuring the market for yellow fat spreads, which is to form a basis for EC legislation. In anticipation of EF legislation of this kind, Germany now permits, by virtue of an Order concerning margarine and mixed fat products of 31.8.1990, the production of mixed fat products consisting of fats fit for human consumption and a proportion of milk fat. The total fat content of these products must be 20–62% or at least 80%. The milk fat content must be between 15 and 25%, 45 and 55%, or 65 and 75% of the total fat content, but must account for at least 8% of the product weight.     

Purity Criteria in Edible Oils and Fats

A review is presented of edible vegetable oil purity criteria developed at the Leatherhead Food Research Association. Most of the work involved accurate determination, by modern GLC techniques, of the fatty acid compositions of oils extracted in the laboratory from oilseeds of known origin and history. All of the main production areas throughout the world were represented in the collection of over 600 samples of commercial oilseeds. No botanial curiosities or hand picked specimens were included as the work related to commercially available edible oils. The fatty acid compositions of the major vegetable oils are reviewed, and the influence this had on the revision of Codex Alimentarius Fats and Oils Specifications is discussed. The development of purity criteria based on the composition of fatty acids at the triglyceride 2-position, triglyceride compositions by high temperature GLC, sterol compositions and tocopherol concentrations are also reviewed. In the case of maize oil a significant new development is the authentication of the oil by stable carbon isotope ratio measurement. The possibilities of this exciting new technique are reviewed in the light of 40 results on maize oils of various origins, together with over 60 results on a selection of other oils and fats.     

What we know and what we should know about virgin oils – a general introduction

On international scale the Codex Alimentarius Standard for Named Vegetable Oils differentiates between virgin oils and cold‐pressed oils, while in Germany virgin, non‐refined and refined oils are available. Here cold‐pressed is an additional quality feature. The paper explains and comments the various definitions for vegetable oils other than olive oil obtained by mechanical extraction only, because they are partly contradictory. Resulting from gentle processing virgin oils are often appreciated by the consumers as the better oils. The answer of the present paper to the question which type of oil is better is that there is no better or worse oil, but only a better or worse suitability of an oil for application in food processing or the kitchen. Finally, the paper picks up the upcoming debate on the potential ’?new' contaminant, 3‐MCPD‐fatty acid esters, which were found in refined oils.     

Farbe von Ölen

Colour of Oils For many products, particularly edible oils and fats, color is an essential indicator for quality. Today instruments are used to measure the color in oils, fats, fatty acids or other substances. The Tintometer is a subtractive colorimeter, which used red, blue and yellow glass standards. Almost everywhere in the world, the Lovibond color scale is nowadays considered as an accepted means of assigning precise color values to edible oils and fats. But there are also, of course, alternative ways and techniques of determining or measuring color. In recent years, the development of microprocessor-controlled colorimeters has made it possible to automatically measure and compare Lovibond color scale and correlating international standard values pursuant to the CIE System.     

Bioactive Compounds and Stability of Organic and Conventional Vitis labrusca Grape Seed Oils

The aim of this study was to determine the differences between organic and conventional grape seed oils extracted from different grapes (Bordô and Isabel). The physicochemical quality, bioactive compounds and oxidative stability of the oils were investigated. The organic samples exhibited the best color parameters, and all samples were within the limits established by the Codex Alimentarius regarding their quality parameters. Only Bordô grape seed oils presented lutein and the best results regarding α‐ and β‐carotene and α‐tocopherol contents. All samples exhibited the same antioxidant activity results, but the Bordô ones exhibited higher oxidative stability. Overall, the results from this study suggest no differences between organic and conventional grape seed oils but between the grape varieties.     

Analysis of sterol content and composition in fats and oils by capillary-gas liquid chromatography using an internal standard. Comments on the German sterol method

The advantages and disadvantages of various approaches to the capillary-gas liquid chromatography (GLC) of sterols in fats and oils with internal standards are discussed. The German method F-III 1²(,3) for sterol analysis in fats and oils, which uses betulin as an internal standard, was reformulated and translated. A number of further improvements and alterations were also made, and the procedure used is described more precisely below in English in order to give detailed explanations, e.g. regarding the role of the aluminium oxide column and of the internal standard betulin. The method is applicable to a wide range of oils and fats, including mixtures of vegetable and animal fats, cereal lipids, and partially hydrogenated fats.     

Formulation and Characterization of Human Milk Fat Substitutes Made from Blends of Refined Palm Olein,and Soybean,Olive, Fish,and Virgin Coconut Oils

The simplest and the most cost-effective way of human milk fat substitute (HMFS) production is formulating of suitable vegetable oils at proper ratios. To do this, the D-optimal mixture design was used to optimize the HMFS formulation. The design included 25 formulations made from refined palm olein (35–55%), soybean oil (5–25%), olive oil (5–20%), virgin coconut oil (5–15%), and fish oil (0–10%). Samples were produced in laboratory and characterized in terms of fatty acid and triacylglycerol (TAG) compositions, free fatty acid content, peroxide value, iodine value, and oxidative stability index (OSI). HMFS samples were also compared with Codex Alimentarius (CA) and Iran National Standards Organization (INSO) standards. Each characteristic of HMFS samples was then expressed as a function of ingredient ratio using regression models. Finally, using numerical optimization, four optimized blends (PB₁-PB₄) were selected, made in the laboratory (HMFS₁-HMFS₄), characterized, and compared with CA and INSO standards. The properties of all the optimized blends (except the palmitic acid content of HMFS₂ and the monounsaturated fatty acid [MUFA] content of HMFS₃) met the standards. HMFS₄ showed the highest OSI in Rancimat and the lowest oxidation rate in Schaal oven tests. POL (19.53–21.73%), PPO (20.77–21.73%), OOO (9.11–11.16%), and OPO (8.84–9.46%) were the main (totally about 60%) TAG species found in HMFS samples. In conclusion, the HMFS₄ formula (55% palm olein, 13.5% soybean oil, 16% refined olive oil, 15% virgin coconut oil, and 0.5% fish oil) was suggested as the best formula for HMFS production.     

Thermochemical applications for fats and oils

Fats and oils are well established in food, surfactant and coatings applications. Historically, fats and oils were employed to provide lighting and warmth. Increasing production of fats and oils and increasing uncertainties regarding the reliability of petroleum resources make it desirable to reconsider thermochemical applications of fats and oils. Difficulties associated with the use of fats and oils for vehicular applications are discussed, and use in stationary diesel engines is suggested. Conventional kerosene space heaters are designed to make use of the vaporization behavior of this fuel. Changes in heater design are required to take into account the pyrolytic degradation of the fuel when fats and oils are used, and a traveling grate burner was designed for this purpose. Pyrolysis of fatty acids at temperatures exceeding 500 C yields a mixture of gaseous and liquid products. The gaseous products include ethylene, but little propylene. The liquid product is primarily a mixture of substituted styrenes. Further development is needed for these thermochemical applications of fats and oils. Fuel and olefin markets present valuable cushions to keep the price of fats and oils from fluctuating as during the early 1980’s, when soybean oil has varied from $0.15 per pound to $0.40 per pound. The triglycerides can provide a future source of feedstocks for petrochemicals, if petroleum prices and availabilities change dramatically. Most of the development work needed consists of down-to-earth large-scale experiments in semi-commercial or commercial equipment to determine the best methods of fuel storage, feeding and conditions for combustion and steam cracking.     

Trace metal content of a herring oil at various stages of pilot-plant refining and partial hydrogenation

Samples of a typical Atlantic herring oil at various stages of pilot-plant processing were analyzed for cadmium, selenium, arsenic, mercury, copper, lead, and zinc. The FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius requirements for low levels of specific metals in edible oils were always difficult to meet completely in either a washed and bleached oil or in two lots of oil processed from one crude oil by the additional steps of partial hydrogenation and deodorization. The mercury content of the crude oil was relatively low and was not greatly affected by processing. The selenium level of 47 ppb in the crude oil was significantly lowered by hydrogenation and deodorization. Arsenic was removed by alkali refining. The lead content was reduced by only 40% upon refining, probably because lead was present as an organometallic material. The concentration of the other heavy elements was generally lowered during processing.     

Purity assessments of major vegetable oils based on δ13C values of individual fatty acids

The fatty acid compositions and δ¹³C values of the major fatty acids of more than 150 vegetable oils were determined to provide a database of isotopic information for use in the authentication of commercial maize oil. After extraction of oils from seeds, nuts or kernels, and methylation, fatty acid compositions were determined by capillary gas chromatography. All compositions were within the ranges specified by the Codex Alimentarius. Gas chromatography combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry was employed to determine the δ¹³C values of the major fatty acids of the oils. A large number of pure maize oils and potential adulterant oils from various parts of the world were studied to assess the sources of variability in δ¹³C values. Such information is vital to establishing the compound specific isotope technique as a reliable means of assessing vegetable oil purity. Variability in δ¹³C values was related to the geographical origin of the oil, year of harvest, and the particular variety of oil. This suggests that the ultimate δ¹³C values of fatty acids are determined by a combination of environmental and genetic factors.     

Der Einfluß der Raffination auf die Konzentration von Spurenmetallen in Ölen und Fetten

Effect of Refining on the Concentration of Trace Metals in Oils and Fats The published concentrations of trace metals in edible oils and fats vary considerably. This is probably not only caused by samples being of different origin but also by different methods of analysis. Values determined by us for lead and mercury in crude oils and fats are relatively frequently above the limits featuring in German draft legislation dating from May 1974. Refining, as normally done for oils and fats, reduces the lead contents to or below the draft limit of 0.15 ppm. Even after refining the draft limit of 0.025 ppm mercury is sometimes exceeded. The neutralisation step is primarily responsible for the reduction of the lead content.     

The absorption spectra of the F.A.C. color standards

Summary The absorption spectra of the Fat Analysis Committee color standards for commercial trade in fats and oils have been determined as a means of recording the color of each standard for future reference.     

A rapid method for the quantification of fatty acids in fats and oils with emphasis on <Emphasis Type="Italic">trans</Emphasis> fatty acids using fourier transform near infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR)

A rapid method was developed for classifying and quantifying the FA composition of edible oils and fats using Fourier Transform near infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR). The FT-NIR spectra showed unique fingerprints for saturated FA, cis and trans monounsaturated FA, and all n−6 and n−3 PUFA within TAG to permit qualitative and quantitative comparisons of fats and oils. The quantitative models were based on incorporating accurate GC data of the different fats and oils and FT-NIR spectral information into the calibration model using chemometric analysis. FT-NIR classification models were developed based on chemometric analyses of 55 fats, oils, and fat/oil mixtures that were used in the identification of similar materials. This database was used to prepare three calibration models—one suitable for the analysis of common fats and oils with low levels of trans FA, and the other two for fats and oils with intermediate and high levels of trans FA. The FT-NIR method showed great potential to provide the complete FA composition of unknown fats and oils in minutes. Compared with the official GC method, the FT-NIR method analyzed fats and oils directly in their neat form and required no derivatization of the fats to volatile FAME, followed by time-consuming GC separations and analyses. The FT-NIR method also compared well with the official FTIR method using an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) cell; the latter provided only quantification of specific functional groups, such as the total trans FA content, whereas FT-NIR provided the complete FA profile. The FT-NIR method has the potential to be used for rapid screening and/or monitoring of fat products, trans FA determinations for regulatory labeling purposes, and detection of contaminants. The quantitative FT-NIR results for various edible oils and fats and their mixtures are presented based on the FT-NIR model developed.