Comparison of fat determination methods depending on fat definition in bakery products

•Three methods were used for determining fat classes and content in bakery products.•Fat content determined by the AOAC 996.06 was lower than that determined by the Folch or automated Soxhlet methods.•We found that the analytical fat determination method in food depends on how fat is defined.•Fat determination method produces differences in fat content and fat classes.

This study aimed to evaluate fat determination depending on fat definition. Three methods were used for the determination of fat classes and content in bread products: the Folch method, the automated Soxhlet method, and the AOAC 996.06 method. The results using these methods were compared. Fat (crude) extracted by the Folch and Soxhlet methods was gravimetrically determined and assessed by fat classes using capillary gas chromatography. In most samples, fat (total) content determined by the AOAC 996.06 method was lower than the fat (crude) content determined by the Folch or automated Soxhlet methods. In addition, the contents of saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and trans fat determined by the AOAC 996.06 method were lower than those obtained by the Folch and automated Soxhlet methods. The analytical fat determination method in food depends on how fat is defined, which produced difference in fat content and content of fat classes.