Objective
The main nutritional properties of a food are defined by its major organic components: total protein, total fat, carbohydrate (starch and sugars) and dietary fibre. Knowledge of the contents of major elements is also important. Accurate determination of these components has become more important because of the greater demand for reliable food labelling and the intracommunity trade in food products, but collaborative studies have shown that even the most experienced laboratories can make significant errors.
A preliminary intercomparison of methods identified many of the methodological weaknesses. Five reference materials (full cream milk powder, wholemeal flour, rye flour, haricot beans and lyophilized pork muscle) have been prepared and shown to be homogeneous and stable and have been certified with respect to total nitrogen protein, ash, total fat, dietary fibre, lactose and calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, chloride and phosphorus. Indicative values for starch, free sugars and dietary fibre by the Englyst method were also established. Indicative values for several important vitamins were determined.
The main nutritional properties of a food are defined by its major organic components; total protein, total fat, carbohydrate (starch and sugars) and dietary fibre. Knowledge of the contents of major elements such as Ca, K, P and Na is also important.
Accurate determination of these components has become more important because of the greater demand for reliable food labelling (Directives 79/112/EEC and 90/496/EEC) and, the implications for intra-community trade in food products.
Although routinely determined in industry and for nutritional purposes, collaborative studies have shown that even the most experienced laboratories can make significant errors.
Funding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
6700 AE Wageningen
Netherlands
Participants (26)
31600 Jokioinen
6703 BC Wageningen
32756 Detmold
3850 AG Leusden
76131 Karlsruhe
5030 Gembloux
39800 Poligny
75013 Paris
NR4 7UA Norwich
NR4 7UA Norwich
1900 Lisboa
TW11 0LY Teddington
87435 Kempten
28220 Majadahonda (Madrid)
1000 Bruxelles
6710 BA Ede
75126 Uppsala
2860 Söborg
20137 Milano
6201 GA Maastricht
9090 Melle
3400 Hillerod
8634 Hombrechtikon
3700 AC Zeist
MK44 1LQ Sharnbrook
30125 Venezia