Food Safety | Determination of Solvent Residues in Foods - Headspace Gas Chromatography Method

In today's society, food safety concerns are increasingly prominent. As an essential component of our daily diet, the safety of cooking oils is of utmost importance. Traditional plant oils, which are extracted using pressing techniques, have lower yields and higher costs compared to the chemical extraction method. Chemical extraction allows for a more thorough extraction of oil from the oil cakes, resulting in a higher yield.

Currently, most oil production companies opt for the chemical extraction refining method. The principle of chemical extraction refining involves solvent extraction of vegetable oils using a solvent known as "solvent No. 6." These solvents are refined from straight-run petroleum fractions, reboiler bottoms, or condensate fractions. They are primarily composed of aliphatic hydrocarbons such as hexane. The trace aromatic hydrocarbons and sulfur compounds contained within them are highly toxic, leading to anesthesia of the respiratory center upon prolonged exposure, damage to the skin barrier function, and harm to peripheral nerves and hematopoietic function.

To ensure public food safety, countries around the world have established a series of stringent national food safety standards. In China, these standards clearly define the content of various components in food. The "National Food Safety Standard for Determination of Solvent Residues in Foods" (GB 5009.262-2016) specifies the solvent residues in edible vegetable oils and processed food by-products.