Methods are evaluated and refined to fit the industry members. New methods were developed for HPLC –LSD of phospholipids. The German Association of Fat Research (DGF) and AOCS have accepted the ILPS AM -101 method as validated official DGF and AOCS method. Many of the adopted methods for lecithin analysis are from AOCS and DGF origin.
Because some analytical matters differ between Europe and America, it was decided to separate the analytical activities in a European and American subgroup. This also should allow people to have more regular contacts as distance and costs involved are reduced. The ILPS European Analytical Subgroup meets e.g. twice a year in one of the corporate member’s offices. Interested individuals are invited to join the activities by applying for corporate or individual membership.
The step from analytical methods to legal affairs is short, since purity criteria in the Codex Alimentarius, Pharmacopoeia, American FCC and European EU food additive directives are related to analytical methods. ILPS members are directly or indirectly involved in these topics, for which ILPS meetings are an interesting platform for discussion.
Exact Phospholipid Composition of various lecithin sources and their modification is increasingly important for defining nutritional properties, health claims and technological functions.
Standards for analyzing Phospholipid Composition in your own laboratory with HPLC-LSD include a commercial soybean lecithin and certified pure PC (Phosphatidylcholine). These standards are calibrated with support of 31P-NMR Analytical Procedure. The mixed (commercial) standards will be shipped at your request. Standards are available from Avanti Polar Lipids (Phone 205-663-2494, Fax 205-663-0756, orders@avantilipids.com) and Spectral Services, Cologne, Germany (Phone +49-2236 969 470, Fax +49-2236 969 4711, Email info@spectralservice.de).
Often laboratories prefer to used an own lecithin standard. ILPS recommend contacting Avanti Polar Lipids or Spectral Service with the request to analyze your own lecithin standard with 31P-NMR analytical method.
Usually the Phospholipid Composition is not covered by the regulatory and trade specifications of lecithins. For this purpose DGF and AOCS Analytical Methods are mostly used worldwide.