ARS creates new fat analysis procedure

7/07/2000-A new analytical technique developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists simplifies the task of predicting how certain fats will change during processing and storage. This could lead to a longer shelf life for margarines, shortenings, and cooking oils. ARS chemist William E. Neff and Florida-Atlantic University researcher W. Craig Byrdwell, formerly with ARS, developed an analytical technique to help food manufacturers shave months off product development. The new technique, reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) with mass spectrometry (MS), simplifies identifying triglycerides. The researchers can see intact triglycerides before they break down to form negative byproducts during storage or high-temperature frying. The technique is especially helpful for evaluating sunflower and soybean oils, which have no standard reference for their chemical composition. The technique also correlate triglyceride composition with the physical properties it imparts to food: melting range, mouth-feel, and reaction to refrigeration. ARS is USDA's chief scientific research agency.