Determination of Cholesterol in Foods: Accurate Measurement Methods

Determination of Cholesterol Content in Foods

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a steroid associated with atherosclerosis and heart disease. Cholesterol is important because it is a precursor to a large number of steroids, including bile salts, adrenocortical hormones and vitamin D. Cholesterol is widely distributed in all cells of the body, especially in nerve tissue. It is the main component of the plasma membrane and plasma lipoproteins.

The two most important types of cholesterol are high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). LDL cholesterol is called “bad cholesterol”, while HDL cholesterol is called “good cholesterol” because of its different effects on the body. Too much LDL cholesterol leads to blockage due to atherosclerosis (lipid buildup), especially in the coronary arteries that supply the heart, increasing the likelihood of a heart attack. HDL cholesterol removes cholesterol from blood vessels and thus reduces the likelihood of blockages and heart attacks.

Importance of Cholesterol Determination in Foods

Health:

• Cardiovascular Health: High cholesterol can lead to blocked arteries and heart disease. Therefore, controlling the amount of cholesterol in food is important for good health.
• Balanced Nutrition: As part of a daily dietary routine, cholesterol determination in food is used to check that your diet is suitable.

Food Safety:

• Continuous Monitoring: Accurate and regular analysis of the amount of cholesterol in foods ensures food safety and quality of products.
• Competitiveness: In terms of market competition, products with low cholesterol content can be attractive to health-conscious consumers.

Nutrition Science:

• Dietary Analysis: Cholesterol determination helps individuals optimize their diets.
• Healthy Living: Foods with low cholesterol content are favored among health-conscious consumers.

Animal sources such as egg yolks, red meat and full-fat dairy products are rich in cholesterol, while vegetables, fruits and cereals contain no cholesterol at all. Limiting the levels of cholesterol in our diet is essential for living a healthy life. This is precisely why we need to know how much cholesterol is supplied with our food.

If a claim is made regarding the amount of cholesterol, the content must be reported in milligrams (mg) and clearly printed on the packaging.

Cholesterol Determination Methods in Foods

• Enzymatic Method
• Liquid Chromatography (LC)
• Gas Chromatography (GC)
• Sulfuric Acid Hydrolysis Method
• Ion-Liquid Chromatography (ILC)

What are the Application Areas?

Food Industry:

• Fat and fat containing foods: Cheese, yogurt, ice cream, mayonnaise.
• Margarine: Control of the amount of cholesterol in vegetable oils.
• Bread, bakery products: Measuring cholesterol in some products.

Nutrition Counseling:

• Dietitians: Analyses are performed to optimize the cholesterol content of individuals' diets.

Health Studies:

• Diabetes and cardiovascular research: Cholesterol levels are monitored in health studies.

Nanolab Laboratories Group continues to provide services within the scope of Cholesterol Determination in Foods. We also provide services in Mineral Analysis in Foods.

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