BS EN ISO 18363-2:2025: A Comprehensive Standard for Fats and Oils Analysis

Introducing the BS EN ISO 18363-2:2025, a pivotal standard that sets the benchmark for the determination of fatty-acid-bound chloropropanediols (MCPDs) and glycidol in animal and vegetable fats and oils. This standard is essential for professionals in the food and chemical industries who are committed to ensuring the safety and quality of their products.

Overview of the Standard

The BS EN ISO 18363-2:2025 standard provides a detailed methodology for the analysis of MCPDs and glycidol using the GC/MS method. This method involves slow alkaline transesterification, which is crucial for accurate measurement of 2-MCPD, 3-MCPD, and glycidol. These compounds are significant due to their potential health impacts, making their precise determination vital for consumer safety.

Key Features:

• Standard Number: BS EN ISO 18363-2:2025
• Pages: 30
• Release Date: January 17, 2025
• ISBN: 978 0 539 30765 8
• Status: Standard

Why This Standard Matters

In the realm of food safety and quality control, the presence of contaminants such as MCPDs and glycidol in fats and oils is a critical concern. These substances can form during the processing of edible oils and have been linked to potential health risks. The BS EN ISO 18363-2:2025 standard provides a robust framework for detecting and quantifying these compounds, ensuring that food products meet stringent safety standards.

By adhering to this standard, manufacturers and laboratories can demonstrate their commitment to quality and safety, thereby enhancing consumer trust and compliance with international regulations.

Technical Insights

The GC/MS method outlined in this standard is a sophisticated analytical technique that combines gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS) to identify and quantify chemical compounds. The slow alkaline transesterification process is a critical step that ensures the accurate conversion of bound MCPDs and glycidol into their free forms, which can then be measured precisely.

This method is particularly advantageous due to its sensitivity and specificity, allowing for the detection of even trace amounts of contaminants. This level of precision is essential for maintaining the integrity of food products and protecting public health.

Applications and Benefits

The BS EN ISO 18363-2:2025 standard is applicable across a wide range of industries, including:

• Food Manufacturing: Ensures that edible oils and fats meet safety standards, reducing the risk of harmful contaminants reaching consumers.
• Quality Control Laboratories: Provides a reliable method for testing and verifying the safety of food products.
• Regulatory Bodies: Offers a standardized approach for monitoring and enforcing food safety regulations.

By implementing this standard, organizations can benefit from improved product quality, enhanced consumer confidence, and compliance with international safety standards. This not only helps in safeguarding public health but also strengthens the brand reputation of companies committed to excellence in food safety.

Conclusion

The BS EN ISO 18363-2:2025 standard is an indispensable tool for any organization involved in the production, testing, or regulation of animal and vegetable fats and oils. Its comprehensive methodology for the determination of MCPDs and glycidol ensures that products are safe, high-quality, and compliant with global standards.

Investing in this standard is a proactive step towards achieving excellence in food safety and quality assurance. By adopting the BS EN ISO 18363-2:2025, you are not only meeting regulatory requirements but also demonstrating a commitment to the health and well-being of consumers worldwide.

BS EN ISO 18363-2:2025

This standard BS EN ISO 18363-2:2025 Animal and vegetable fats and oils. Determination of fatty-acid-bound chloropropanediols (MCPDs) and glycidol by GC/MS is classified in these ICS categories:

• 67.200.10 Animal and vegetable fats and oils

This document specifies a procedure for the parallel determination of glycidol together with 2-MCPD and 3-MCPD present in bound or free form in oils and fats. The method is based on alkaline-catalysed ester cleavage, transformation of the released glycidol into monobromopropanediol (MBPD) and derivatisation of the derived free diols (MCPD and MBPD) with phenylboronic acid (PBA). Though free MCPD and glycidol are supposed to be present in fats and oils in low to negligible quantities only, in the event that free analytes are present, they would contribute proportionately to the results. The results always being the sum of the free and the bound form of a single analyte. This method is applicable to solid and liquid fats and oils. This document can also apply to animal fats and used frying oils and fats, but a validation study is undertaken before the analysis of these matrices. Milk and milk products (or fat coming from milk and milk products) are excluded from the scope of this document.