Overview
EN ISO 15302:2017 (CEN endorsement of ISO 15302:2017) defines a laboratory method for the determination of benzo[a]pyrene in crude or refined edible animal and vegetable fats and oils. The standard specifies a reverse‑phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with fluorimetric detection and covers the analytical range 0.1 µg/kg to 50 µg/kg. Milk and milk products (and fats derived from them) are excluded from the scope.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Analytical principle: Sample dissolution in light petroleum, addition of an internal standard (benzo[b]chrysene), adsorption on alumina and cleanup, followed by reverse‑phase HPLC with fluorimetric detection.
- Detection range: Method validated for benzo[a]pyrene mass fractions from 0.1 µg/kg to 50 µg/kg.
- Reagents: Specifies analytical‑grade solvents and reagents such as light petroleum or hexane, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, toluene, sodium sulfate and deactivated alumina. Preparation of benzo[a]pyrene stock and working standards is described.
- Internal standard: Use of benzo[b]chrysene as the internal standard for quantification.
- Apparatus: Typical lab equipment plus HPLC system with injection valve (50 µl loop or autosampler), reverse‑phase guard and analytical columns for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), water baths, alumina columns and a flash/rotary evaporator.
- Sample preparation & sampling: Refers to ISO 661 for preparation of test samples; provides procedures for adsorption, elution and concentration prior to HPLC analysis.
- Quality and performance: Sections on calculation of relative response factors, expression of results, and precision (repeatability and reproducibility) are included.
- Safety: Explicit warnings on the carcinogenic nature of benzo[a]pyrene and safe handling (fume hood, gloves).
Applications and users
EN ISO 15302:2017 is intended for:
- Food testing laboratories performing benzo[a]pyrene and PAH analysis in edible oils and fats.
- Quality control teams and analytical chemists in edible oil processing and refining (vegetable oils, animal fats).
- Regulatory authorities and compliance labs verifying limits for carcinogenic PAHs in food products.
- Research groups studying contamination, processing effects, or mitigation strategies for PAHs in oils.
Practical benefits:
- Provides a standardized, traceable HPLC‑based procedure for low‑level benzo[a]pyrene quantification.
- Enables comparable results across laboratories for regulatory and safety assessments.
Related standards
- ISO 661 - Preparation of test sample for animal and vegetable fats and oils (normative reference cited in EN ISO 15302:2017).
- Linked technical committees: ISO/TC 34 (Food products) and CEN/TC 307 (Oilseeds, vegetable and animal fats and oils).
Keywords: EN ISO 15302:2017, benzo[a]pyrene, reverse‑phase HPLC, fluorimetric detection, edible oils, animal and vegetable fats, PAH analysis, food safety, analytical method.
