Analyses of polyglycerol esters of fatty acids using high performance liquid chromatography

Polyglycerol esters are important food emulsifiers available commercially as a mixture of various isomers. The need for analyses of these emulsifiers may arise at any stage of their production and use and is of significant importance from the point of view of the health authorities. Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids can be analyzed by partition HPLC on a 25 cm column packed with 10 μm LiChrosorb Diol. The isomers were eluted gradientally with n-hexane-isopropanol mixture within 60 min. and the components monitored by uv-absorption at 220 nm. Monoglycerol and polyglycerol monoesters as well as polyglycerol polyesters of oleic acid were separated and evaluated.