Testing Dairy products
Natural and Fortified Vitamins
It is crucial to know the correct amount of vitamins, the natural contribution, if the vitamin premix contains the declared values and if the end product contains the expected amounts when labelling it. The natural content of vitamins will vary from product to product, especially the natural content of the fat-soluble vitamins, because they are dissolved in the fat fraction in the milk. This means that the natural content of fat-soluble vitamins in whole milk will be higher than in skimmed milk.
We have accredited methods for determining the natural content of e.g. vitamin A and vitamin D3 in milk. These methods have a lower limit of quantification (LOQ) and we are able to determine a level down to 10 μg/100g (vitamin A) and 0,25 μg/100g (vitamin D3). Additional flavors and foods are often used in dairy products, and these may also contribute with a natural nutritional value.
In which form are the vitamins?
Vitamins come in different forms and for us to choose the correct test codes for your products, it's important to know in which form the vitamin is present. An example of this is the two main components of vitamin A; Retinol and Beta-carotene (pro-vitamin). If a sample contains both of these you should order analysis of both components to get the total amount of vitamin A that can be declared. If in doubt we can assist you with any questions you might have. At Eurofins Vitamin testing we are a highly educated and experienced team that will do our best to meet your requirements.
Importance of the sample preparations
When analyzing a variety of matrices, it is important to have an overall understanding of the chemistry and the different components that can be found in these matrices. This is to make sure that the sample is being handled in the correct way, all the way from registration to the sample preparation and then for analysis. Depending on the matrix and the component for analysis a whole lot of precautions must be considered. Not only to be sure that the sample isn’t influenced by the sample preparation, but also that the sample is 100% representative for vitamins and amino acids for analysis.
For any specific queries you are welcome to contact your local Eurofins.
