EN ISO 12873:2014
(Main)Olive oils and olive-pomace oils - Determination of wax content by capillary gas chromatography (ISO 12873:2010)
Olive oils and olive-pomace oils - Determination of wax content by capillary gas chromatography (ISO 12873:2010)
ISO 12873:2010 specifies the determination of the wax content, as a mass fraction expressed in milligrams per kilogram, of olive oils and olive-pomace oils. The individual waxes are separated according to the number of carbon atoms. The method is recommended for distinguishing between olive oil obtained by pressing or centrifuging and that obtained from olive pomace (olive-pomace oil).
Olivenöle und Oliventresteröle - Bestimmung des Wachsgehaltes in Olivenölen mittels Kapillarsäulen-Gaschromatographie (ISO 12873:2010)
Diese Internationale Norm beschreibt ein Verfahren zur Bestimmung des Wachsgehalts von Olivenölen und Oliventresterölen als Massenanteil in Milligramm je Kilogramm. Die jeweiligen Wachse werden anhand der Anzahl von Kohlenstoffatomen unterteilt. Das Verfahren wird empfohlen, um zwischen Olivenöl, das durch Pressen oder Zentrifugieren hergestellt wird, und Olivenöl, das aus Oliventrester hergestellt wird (Oliven-tresteröl), zu unterscheiden.
ANMERKUNG Diese Internationale Norm basiert auf COI/T.20/Doc. 18/Rev. 2:2007 [4].
Huiles d'olive et huiles de grignons d'olive - Détermination de la teneur en cires par chromatographie en phase gazeuse sur colonne capillaire (ISO 12873:2010)
L'ISO 12873:2010 spécifie la détermination de la teneur en cires, sous forme de fraction massique exprimée en milligrammes par kilogramme, des huiles d'olive et des huiles de grignons d'olive. Les différentes cires sont séparées en fonction du nombre d'atomes de carbone. La méthode est recommandée pour différencier l'huile d'olive obtenue par pressage ou centrifugation de celle obtenue par extraction (huile de grignons d'olive).
Oljčna olja in olja iz oljčnih tropin - Določevanje voska s kapilarno plinsko kromatografijo (ISO 12873:2010)
Standard EN ISO 12873 določa ugotavljanje voska oljčnih olj in oljčnih tropin v obliki masnega deleža v miligramih na kilogram. Posamezni voski so ločeni glede na število ogljikovih atomov. Metoda je priporočljiva za razlikovanje med oljčnim oljem, pridobljenim s stiskanjem ali centrifugiranjem, in oljčnim oljem, pridobljenim iz oljčnih tropin.
General Information
- Status
- Published
- Publication Date
- 15-Apr-2014
- Withdrawal Date
- 30-Oct-2014
- Current Stage
- 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
- Start Date
- 16-Apr-2014
- Due Date
- 22-Nov-2014
- Completion Date
- 16-Apr-2014
Overview
EN ISO 12873:2014 (identical to ISO 12873:2010) specifies a laboratory method for the determination of wax content in olive oils and olive‑pomace oils by capillary gas chromatography (GC). The method reports wax content as a mass fraction in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) and separates individual wax esters by carbon number (C40–C46). It is widely used to distinguish oils obtained by pressing/centrifuging from olive‑pomace oil.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope: Quantifies total waxes (C40–C46 esters) in olive and olive‑pomace oils; recommended for differentiating olive oil vs. pomace oil.
- Principle: Add an internal standard, fractionate the oil on a hydrated silica gel column, collect the wax fraction, and analyze by capillary GC with flame‑ionization detection (FID).
- Reagents & standards: hydrated silica gel (2% water), n‑hexane, diethyl ether, n‑heptane, Sudan I dye, and an internal standard (e.g., lauryl arachidate).
- Apparatus: liquid chromatography column (glass), fused‑silica capillary GC column (SE‑52/SE‑54 or equivalent), cold on‑column injector, programmable oven, FID, and computer integration.
- Chromatographic conditions (recommended): temperature program to separate C40–C46 esters, detector at high temperature (example: 350 °C), carrier gas helium or hydrogen, injection volume ~1 µL on-column.
- Sample preparation: silica gel packing, cleanup with n‑hexane, elution with a fresh n‑hexane/diethyl ether (99/1 v/v) mixture, visual check with Sudan I dye, solvent removal, reconstitution in n‑heptane for GC.
- Quantification: calculate wax content from peak areas of the individual esters (C40–C46) relative to the internal standard, and report the sum in mg/kg (one decimal).
- Precision & reporting: Annex B summarizes interlaboratory precision (repeatability and reproducibility limits). Test reports must identify sample, method reference, results and any deviations.
Applications and users
- Who uses it: food testing laboratories, olive oil producers, regulatory authorities, quality control departments, and research labs in the edible‑oil sector.
- Practical uses:
- Authentication and classification of olive oils and olive‑pomace oils.
- Regulatory compliance and trade quality control.
- Routine QC testing during production and after storage to monitor wax levels.
Related standards
- ISO 661 - preparation of test sample for fats and oils.
- ISO 5555 - recommended sampling for olive oils (sampling not part of EN ISO 12873).
Keywords: EN ISO 12873:2014, olive oil wax content, olive‑pomace oil, capillary gas chromatography, wax determination, gas chromatograph, C40–C46 wax esters, olive oil analysis.
Get Certified
Connect with accredited certification bodies for this standard

BSI Group
BSI (British Standards Institution) is the business standards company that helps organizations make excellence a habit.

Bureau Veritas
Bureau Veritas is a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection and certification services.

DNV
DNV is an independent assurance and risk management provider.
Sponsored listings
Frequently Asked Questions
EN ISO 12873:2014 is a standard published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its full title is "Olive oils and olive-pomace oils - Determination of wax content by capillary gas chromatography (ISO 12873:2010)". This standard covers: ISO 12873:2010 specifies the determination of the wax content, as a mass fraction expressed in milligrams per kilogram, of olive oils and olive-pomace oils. The individual waxes are separated according to the number of carbon atoms. The method is recommended for distinguishing between olive oil obtained by pressing or centrifuging and that obtained from olive pomace (olive-pomace oil).
ISO 12873:2010 specifies the determination of the wax content, as a mass fraction expressed in milligrams per kilogram, of olive oils and olive-pomace oils. The individual waxes are separated according to the number of carbon atoms. The method is recommended for distinguishing between olive oil obtained by pressing or centrifuging and that obtained from olive pomace (olive-pomace oil).
EN ISO 12873:2014 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 67.200.10 - Animal and vegetable fats and oils. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
EN ISO 12873:2014 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.Olivenöle und Oliventresteröle - Bestimmung des Wachsgehaltes in Olivenölen mittels Kapillarsäulen-Gaschromatographie (ISO 12873:2010)Huiles d'olive et huiles de grignons d'olive - Détermination de la teneur en cires par chromatographie en phase gazeuse sur colonne capillaire (ISO 12873:2010)Olive oils and olive-pomace oils - Determination of wax content by capillary gas chromatography (ISO 12873:2010)67.200.10Animal and vegetable fats and oilsICS:Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z:EN ISO 12873:2014SIST EN ISO 12873:2014en01-september-2014SIST EN ISO 12873:2014SLOVENSKI
STANDARD
EUROPEAN STANDARD NORME EUROPÉENNE EUROPÄISCHE NORM
EN ISO 12873
April 2014 ICS 67.200.10 English Version
Olive oils and olive-pomace oils - Determination of wax content by capillary gas chromatography (ISO 12873:2010)
Huiles d'olive et huiles de grignons d'olive - Détermination de la teneur en cires par chromatographie en phase gazeuse sur colonne capillaire (ISO 12873:2010)
Olivenöle und Oliventresteröle - Bestimmung des Wachsgehaltes in Olivenölen mittels Kapillarsäulen-Gaschromatographie (ISO 12873:2010) This European Standard was approved by CEN on 11 April 2014.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre:
Avenue Marnix 17,
B-1000 Brussels © 2014 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CEN national Members. Ref. No. EN ISO 12873:2014 ESIST EN ISO 12873:2014
Reference numberISO 12873:2010(E)© ISO 2010
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO12873First edition2010-05-01Olive oils and olive-pomace oils — Determination of wax content by capillary gas chromatography Huiles d'olive et huiles de grignons d'olive — Détermination de la teneur en cires par chromatographie en phase gazeuse sur colonne capillaire
ISO 12873:2010(E) PDF disclaimer This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but shall not be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In downloading this file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat accepts no liability in this area. Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation parameters were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In the unlikely event that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.
©
ISO 2010 All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or ISO's member body in the country of the requester. ISO copyright office Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20 Tel.
+ 41 22 749 01 11 Fax
+ 41 22 749 09 47 E-mail
copyright@iso.org Web
www.iso.org Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2010 – All rights reserved
ISO 12873:2010(E) © ISO 2010 – All rights reserved iii Foreword ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization. International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2. The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote. Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. ISO 12873 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 34, Food products, Subcommittee SC 11, Animal and vegetable fats and oils. SIST EN ISO 12873:2014
ISO 12873:2010(E) iv © ISO 2010 – All rights reserved Introduction As part of the Trade standard applying to olive oils and olive-pomace oils, the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) — now known as International Olive Council (IOC) — published COI/T.20/Doc. 18:2007[4]. COI/T.20/Doc. 18 was applicable to olive and olive-pomace oils and was used to distinguish between oils obtained by either pressing or centrifuging and olive-pomace oils. Olive pomace is the residual paste which still contains a variable amount of water and oil after pressing or centrifuging. In 2008, the IOC submitted the document to ISO/TC 34/SC 11 for adoption as an International Standard.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 12873:2010(E) © ISO 2010 – All rights reserved 1 Olive oils and olive-pomace oils — Determination of wax content by capillary gas chromatography 1 Scope This International Standard specifies the determination of the wax content, as a mass fraction expressed in milligrams per kilogram, of olive oils and olive-pomace oils. The individual waxes are separated according to the number of carbon atoms. The method is recommended for distinguishing between olive oil obtained by pressing or centrifuging and that obtained from olive pomace (olive-pomace oil). NOTE This International Standard is based on COI/T.20/Doc. 18/Rev. 2:2007[4]. 2 Normative references The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies. ISO 661, Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Preparation of test sample 3 Terms and definitions For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply. 3.1 wax content mass fraction of those substances in a sample determined in accordance with the method specified in this International Standard NOTE The wax content is expressed in milligrams per kilogram. 4 Principle After a suitable internal standard has been added, the oil is fractionated by chromatography on a hydrated silica gel column. The fraction eluted under test conditions (which has a lower polarity than the triglycerides) is recovered and analysed by capillary gas chromatography. 5 Reagents WARNING — Comply with any local regulations which specify the handling of hazardous substances. Technical, organizational and personal safety measures shall be followed. During the analysis, unless otherwise stated, use only reagents of recognized analytical grade, and distilled or demineralized water or water of equivalent purity. SIST EN ISO 12873:2014
ISO 12873:2010(E) 2 © ISO 2010 – All rights reserved 5.1 Silica gel, with a particle size of 60 µm to 200 µm, prepared as follows: place the gel in the muffle oven at 500 °C for at least 4 h; allow to cool, then add 2 % of water in relation to the mass of silica gel used; shake well to homogenize the slurry. Store in darkness for at least 12 h prior to use. 5.2 n-Hexane, chromatography grade. 5.3 Diethyl ether, chromatography grade. 5.4 n-Heptane, chromatography grade. 5.5 Internal standard, solution of lauryl arachidate in hexane, mass concentration 0,1 g/100 ml. NOTE Palmityl palmitate or myristyl stearate may also be used. 5.6 Sudan I (1-phenylazo-2-naphthol). 5.7 Carrier gas: hydrogen or helium, gas chromatography grade. 5.8 Auxiliary gases: hydrogen, free from moisture and organic substances, and synthetic air, gas chromatography grade. 6 Apparatus Usual laboratory apparatus and, in particular, the following. 6.1 Erlenmeyer flask, 25 ml. 6.2 Glass column for liquid chromatography, of diameter 15,0 mm and
...




Questions, Comments and Discussion
Ask us and Technical Secretary will try to provide an answer. You can facilitate discussion about the standard in here.
Loading comments...