Fast screening method for the analysis of trans fatty acids in processed food by CZE-UV with direct detection

• Rapid method for trans fatty acids analysis by CZE-UV.
• Alternative methodology with improvement in throughput analysis.
• Low cost by analysis and absence of specific separation column.
• Very useful method for screening analysis in complex samples.

In the present work, an alternative method for trans fatty acids (TFA) analysis with direct UV detection using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE-UV) is proposed. The background electrolyte used consisted of 12.0 mmol L−1 of tetraborate buffer, 12.0 mmol L−1 of Brij 35, 33% methanol and 17% acetonitrile. Trans fatty acids in different samples such as butter toffee, cake mix, stuffed wafers, chocolate and a mix for Brazilian cheese bread were successfully quantified within an analysis time of 13 min, taking into account the statistical approach based on response factor calculation using C19:1 (nonadecaenoic acid) as internal standard. The statistical comparison between CZE-UV and the classical GC method for the analyzed samples did not present significant differences within the 95% confidence interval.