Commission Directive
of 25 July 1980
relating to the Community method of analysis for determining the erucic acid content in oils and fats intended to be used as such for human consumption and foodstuffs containing added oils or fats
(80/891/EEC) (repealed)

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Repealed by Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/705 of 30 April 2015 laying down methods of sampling and performance criteria for the methods of analysis for the official control of the levels of erucic acid in foodstuffs and repealing Commission Directive 80/891/EEC (Text with EEA relevance).

Article 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Article 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Article 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Article 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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ANNEX THE DETERMINATION OF THE ERUCIC ACID CONTENT IN OILS AND FATS INTENDED TO BE USED AS SUCH FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION AND IN THE FAT OR OIL COMPONENT OF FOODSTUFFS TO WHICH OILS OR FATS HAVE BEEN ADDED

I. INTRODUCTION

1. SAMPLE PREPARATION

1.1. General
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1.2. Preparation of the sample for analysis in the laboratory
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1.3. Containers
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2. REAGENTS

2.1. Water
2.1.1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.1.2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.2. Chemicals
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3. APPARATUS

3.1. List of apparatus
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3.2. Analytical balance
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4. EXPRESSION OF THE RESULTS

4.1. Results
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4.2. Calculation of the percentage
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4.3. Number of significant figures
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II. DETERMINATION OF ERUCIC ACID

1. SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION
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2. DEFINITION
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3. PRINCIPLE
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4. REAGENTS
4.1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4.9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5. APPARATUS

5.1. Apparatus for thin-layer chromatography to include, in particular:
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5.2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6. PROCEDURE

6.1. Preparation of fatty-acid methyl esters
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6.2. Thin-layer chromatography

6.2.1. Preparation of plates
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6.2.2. Application of methyl esters
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6.2.3. Development of the plates
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6.2.4. Separation of the methyl ester fractions
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6.3. Gas-liquid chromatography
6.3.1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6.3.2. Obtain from the electronic integrator the following peak areas:
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7. EXPRESSION OF RESULTS

7.1. Method of calculation and formula

7.1.1. The erucic acid content of the sample, expressed in terms of its methyl ester as a percentage of the total fatty acid methyl esters prepared from the sample, is given by:
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7.1.2. If peak areas are obtained in percentages the values for EF and RF may be calculated as follows:
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7.1.3. The method of calculation (7.1.1) assumes that the level of tetracosanoic acid in the sample is negligible. If significant amounts of this acid are shown to be present the value for tetracosanoic acid (L2) obtained from the chromatogram of the fractions containing the remainder of the fatty acid methyl esters must be reduced to:
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