Economical micromethod for determination of polar components in frying fats

The polar components, formed in fats during deep‐frying, comprise a multitude of different artifacts. Their content is a suited indicator of fat quality. As an alternative to the time‐ and chemicals‐consuming official methods a simplified micromethod is described. The method employs general laboratory equipment and disposable consumables. The eluent mixture of petroleum ether + diethyl ether (90 + 10) was substituted by a mixture of isohexane + diisopropyl ether (85 + 15), because the high volatility of the former eluent caused problems at elevated ambient temperatures, e.g. during hot summers.