ISO International Standard

ISO 16931:2009 specifies a method using high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) to determine the contents, as mass fractions, of polymerized triacylglycerols (PTAGs) in oils and fats which contain at least 3 % (from peak areas) of these polymers. PTAGs (strictly speaking dimeric and oligomeric triacylglycerols) are formed during the heating of fats and oils, and thus, the method serves to assess the thermal deterioration of frying fats after use.

This method is applicable to frying fats and fats and oils that have been thermally treated, provided that the content of PTAGs is at least 3 %. It can also be applied to the determination of polymers in fats for animal feedstuffs, although in this case, the extraction method used can have an influence on the result.