DETERMINATION OF VITAMIN-B6 IN FOODS BY HPLC - A COLLABORATIVE STUDY

A collaborative study was conducted to evaluate the chromatographic me thod for determination of vitamin B6 in food, recently proposed by Rei tzer-Bergaentzle et al. (Food Chem. 48 (1993) 321-4). Twelve participa nts analysed eight samples containing various amounts of vitamin B6 (f rom 0.6 to 32.8 pg g(-1) of pyridoxol). Repeatability relative standar d deviations (RSD(r)) ranged from 3 to 18%, depending on the vitamin B 6 concentration. Reproducibility relative standard deviations (RSD(R)) were around 30% for samples containing lowest concentrations of vitam in B6 (< 3 mu g g(-1) of pyridoxol) and 12-13% when concentration exce eded 5 mu g g(-1) of pyridoxol, except for the sample of yeast for whi ch the RSD(R) was 26%. These values were satisfactory. Four of the lab oratories taking part in this collaborative study have also used the m icrobiological method recommended by the AOAC. The average results obt ained for the two methods were in agreement. The chromatographic metho d, which is simple and rapid to perform, has been chosen as the offici al French method for vitamin B6 determination in foodstuff for nutriti onal purposes.