Determination of the wax ester content in olive oils. Improvement in the method proposed by EEC Regulation 183/93

A simpler and faster procedure than the official one described in document IV of European Economic Community Regulation 183/93 is proposed. The wax es ter fraction is isolated from triglycerides using a commercially available silica gel column and carbon tetrachloride as eluent. The recovered wax est er fraction, with the addition of a suitable internal standard solution, is analyzed by gas chromatography. A column with a 65% phenyl methyl silicone stationary phase allows a satisfying separation of wax ester fraction in c omparison with both a steryl ester and a light fraction eluted before the i nternal standard. Furthermore, also the single components of the wax eater fraction are suitably separated.