Milk, milk products, infant formula and adult nutritionals — Determination of fatty acids composition — Capillary gas chromatographic method (Edition 2, 2026)

Abstract
This document specifies a method for the quantification of individual and/or all fatty acids content in the profile of milk, milk products, infant formula and adult nutritional formula, containing milk fat and/or vegetable oils, supplemented or not supplemented with oils rich in long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA). This also includes groups of fatty acids often labelled [i.e. trans fatty acids (TFA), saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids] and/or individual fatty acids [i.e. linoleic acid (LA), α-linolenic acid (ALA), arachidonic acid (ARA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)].

The determination is performed by direct transesterification in food matrices, without prior fat extraction, and consequently it is applicable to liquid samples or reconstituted powder samples with water having total fat ≥ 1,5 % (mass fraction).

The fat extracted from products containing less than 1,5 % (mass fraction) fat can be analysed with the same method after a preliminary fat extraction using methods referenced in Clause 2. Dairy products, such as soft or hard cheeses with acidity level ≤ 1 mmol/100 g of fat, can be analysed after a preliminary fat extraction using methods referenced in Clause 2.

For products supplemented or enriched with PUFA with fish oil or algae origins, the evaporation of solvents is performed at the lowest possible temperature (e.g. max. 40 °C) to recover these sensitive fatty acids.

General information
Status : Published
Publication date : 2026-01
Stage : International Standard published
Edition : 2
Number of pages : 45

All standards

IEC/TR 61400-4-2:2026

ISO 16958:2026 | IDF 231

ISO 20022-9:2026

ISO 12052:2026-ISW119773

ISO/IEC/IEEE 24748-4:2026-ISW119775

ISO 12052:2026-ISW119777

ISO/IEC/IEEE 24748-4:2026-ISW119779

ISO 9877:2026 | IDF 258:2026

ISO 13503-9:2026-ISW119919

IEC/TS 61400-4-1:2026

ISO 2507:2026

ISO 22095-2:2026