Quantification of vitamin A in edible oils: comparison of portable device iCheck Chroma3 to high-performance liquid chromatography

Palma-Duran, S. A., Morgan, D. and Combet, E. (2024) Quantification of vitamin A in edible oils: comparison of portable device iCheck Chroma3 to high-performance liquid chromatography. Food Analytical Methods, (doi: 10.1007/s12161-024-02613-w) (Early Online Publication)

Abstract

Fortification of edible oil with vitamin A is a widely adopted intervention to minimize the effects of vitamin A deficiency in vulnerable groups and mitigate some of its deleterious consequences. Regulatory monitoring is an important prerequisite to ensure that the fortification program is implemented effectively. Standard laboratory analysis methods for vitamin A in oils to assess adequate addition levels remain expensive and time-consuming. Portable testing devices are relatively less expensive in terms of capital investment and cost per test. However, the reliability of results needs to be assured to ensure acceptability and confidence. This study compared a portable device to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in terms of quantification of vitamin A in both spiked and commercially fortified oils. Nine oils (soybean, palm, cottonseed, rapeseed, corn, peanut, coconut, sunflower, and rice bran oils) were selected and spiked with retinyl palmitate at six different concentrations, and 112 commercially fortified oils were quantified for their vitamin A content using both methods. A good indicator of intra-day and inter-day repeatability (< 10% CV) was obtained for the measurement of vitamin A in the spiked oils for both methods, which denotes a high agreement between them. Vitamin A recoveries were 97–132% for HPLC and 74–127% for the portable device. A strong positive correlation, r = 0.88, is observed between the two methods for the quantification of vitamin A in the commercially fortified oils. The portable device provides a relatively low-cost, quick, and user-friendly alternative to HPLC.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This research was funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).
• Status: Early Online Publication
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Combet Aspray, Professor Emilie and Palma Duran, Susana Alejandra

Creator Roles

Palma Duran, S. A.: Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Data curation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing
Combet Aspray, E.: Conceptualization, Writing – review and editing, Supervision

• Authors: Palma-Duran, S. A., Morgan, D., and Combet, E.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing
• Journal Name: Food Analytical Methods
• Publisher: Springer
• ISSN: 1936-9751
• ISSN (Online): 1936-976X
• Published Online: 23 March 2024
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2024 The Author(s)
• First Published: First published in Food Analytical Methods 2024
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license