Lab insight: measuring vitamins

Dr John Szpylka

An interesting analytical challenge still exists for measuring vitamin E in foods. In the US, the FDA defines declarable vitamin E as alpha‑tocopherol where there is both a very bioactive naturally‑occurring form, and a less bioactive man‑made form.1 The FDA requires manufacturers to make and keep written records to verify the amount of both forms1 because there is no recognised analytical method that differentiates between the two. Until a method is developed and internationally recognised, the lab needs to have access to those records to properly calculate the amount placed in a nutritional facts panel.

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