LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF SUCROSE POLYESTER IN SALAD DRESSING BY EVAPORATIVE LIGHT-SCATTERING MASS DETECTION

A liquid chromatographic (LC) method is described for analysis of sucr ose polyester (SPE) in salad dressings. SPE is separated from acylglyc erols by gel permeation chromatography. The elution time window for SP E was determined with an evaporative light-scattering mass detector. T he SPE fraction is collected and quantitated by C-18 reversed-phase ch romatography with a ternary gradient. The gradient consists initially of 45.5% methylene chloride, 52.5% acetonitrile, and 2.0% isopropyl al cohol. After 5 min, the ratios change to 98.0% methylene chloride and 2.0% isopropyl alcohol and remain unchanged for the next 6 min. The gr adient then reverts back to initial conditions and is ready for anothe r injection after a total run time of 17 min. Sucrose octaacetate was used as an internal standard to simplify quantitation. The mean (n = 3 ) recovery of SPE was 92.4 +/- 2.6%. Reversed-phase LC precision was d etermined by performing 6 replicate analyses of Italian dressing. The mean recovery +/- standard deviation and coefficient of variation were 261 +/- 9.5 mg SPE/g and 3.6%, respectively.