ISO 18363-3-2024 PDF

Full title and description

St ISO 18363-3-2024 — Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of fatty‑acid‑bound chloropropanediols (MCPDs) and glycidol by GC/MS — Part 3: Method using acid transesterification and measurement for 2‑MCPD, 3‑MCPD and glycidol. This part specifies a laboratory procedure for the simultaneous determination of bound 2‑MCPD, bound 3‑MCPD and bound glycidol in fats and oils using acid‑catalysed transesterification, derivatisation with phenylboronic acid and analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS).

Abstract

This document defines a single‑assay procedure based on acid‑catalysed ester cleavage and PBA (phenylboronic acid) derivatisation of the released free diols, followed by GC/MS measurement to quantify 2‑MCPD esters, 3‑MCPD esters and glycidyl esters in solid and liquid fats and oils. Performance limits in the standard include a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.1 mg/kg and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.03 mg/kg for each analyte.

General information

• Status: Published (International Standard).
• Publication date: June 2024 (Edition 2, 2024‑06).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 67.200.10 — Animal and vegetable fats and oils.
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (2024).
• Number of pages: 17 pages.

Information above follows the ISO cataloguing and bibliographic entry for ISO 18363‑3:2024.

Scope

Applies to the determination of fatty‑acid‑bound 2‑MCPD, 3‑MCPD and glycidol in solid and liquid animal and vegetable fats and oils using acid transesterification, PBA derivatisation and GC/MS measurement. The procedure gives results that represent the sum of bound and any free analyte present; it is intended for routine laboratory use where the stated LOQ and LOD are adequate for regulatory, quality or research needs.

Key topics and requirements

• Analytes: bound 2‑MCPD esters, bound 3‑MCPD esters and bound glycidyl esters (glycidol precursors).
• Sample preparation: acid‑catalysed transesterification to cleave esters and release free MCPDs/glycidol.
• Derivatisation: reaction of released diols with phenylboronic acid (PBA) before GC/MS analysis.
• Measurement: GC/MS quantification of PBA‑derivatised analytes (single‑assay simultaneous measurement).
• Performance limits: LOQ = 0.1 mg/kg and LOD = 0.03 mg/kg for each analyte as specified in the standard.
• Applicability: solid and liquid fats and oils; validation/consideration required for some specialty matrices (see standard for matrix notes and any exclusions).

These requirements and performance figures are taken from the published ISO text for part 3.

Typical use and users

Analytical and quality laboratories in edible‑oil and fat production, refining and processing; food safety and regulatory laboratories; contract testing and third‑party laboratories; research groups studying processing‑related contaminants; manufacturers of food ingredients and finished food products that contain fats/oils. Users rely on the method for compliance testing, internal quality control, and research into formation and mitigation of MCPD/glycidol esters.

Related standards

ISO 18363 is a multipart series addressing methods for MCPDs and glycidol in fats and oils. Related parts include:

• ISO 18363‑1:2015 — Part 1: method using fast alkaline transesterification (measurement focused on 3‑MCPD and differential glycidol measurement).
• ISO 18363‑2:2025 — Part 2: method using slow alkaline transesterification (parallel determination of 2‑MCPD, 3‑MCPD and glycidol).
• ISO 18363‑4:2021 — Part 4: method using fast alkaline transesterification and GC‑MS/MS measurement (rapid GC‑MS/MS protocol).

Part 3 (2024) replaces the earlier withdrawn edition of part 3; users should consult the series to select the most appropriate part for their matrix and instrumentation.

Keywords

MCPD, 2‑MCPD, 3‑MCPD, glycidol, glycidyl esters, transesterification, acid transesterification, phenylboronic acid, PBA, GC/MS, fats and oils, LOQ, LOD, analytical method, food contaminants.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 18363‑3:2024 is an international standard that specifies an acid‑transesterification GC/MS method for the simultaneous measurement of bound 2‑MCPD, 3‑MCPD and glycidol in animal and vegetable fats and oils.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers sample preparation (acid‑catalysed ester cleavage), derivatisation with phenylboronic acid, GC/MS measurement, and method performance criteria (including LOQ = 0.1 mg/kg and LOD = 0.03 mg/kg). Applicability is to solid and liquid fats and oils; specific exclusions or special‑matrix notes are in the full text.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Food and oil industry QC laboratories, regulatory and food safety testing labs, contract testing providers, and research laboratories concerned with process‑related contaminants in fats and oils.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: It is the current published edition for part 3 (Edition 2, published June 2024) and replaces the previous edition of ISO 18363‑3. Users should confirm adoption dates or national implementation dates for regulatory use in their jurisdiction.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — ISO 18363 is a multipart series. Other relevant parts include ISO 18363‑1:2015 (fast alkaline method), ISO 18363‑2 (slow alkaline method, newer edition), and ISO 18363‑4:2021 (fast alkaline method for GC‑MS/MS). Choose the part that best fits the sample matrix and analytical goals.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: MCPD, 2‑MCPD, 3‑MCPD, glycidol, glycidyl esters, GC/MS, acid transesterification, phenylboronic acid, fats and oils, LOQ, LOD.