DETERMINATION OF VITAMIN-B6 IN FOODS BY HPLC - A COLLABORATIVE STUDY

A collaborative study was conducted to evaluate the chromatographic method for determination of vitamin B6 in food, recently proposed by Reitzer-Bergaentzle et al. (Food Chem. 48 (1993) 321-4). Twelve participants analysed eight samples containing various amounts of vitamin B6 (from 0.6 to 32.8 pg g(-1) of pyridoxol). Repeatability relative standard deviations (RSD(r)) ranged from 3 to 18%, depending on the vitamin B6 concentration. Reproducibility relative standard deviations (RSD(R)) were around 30% for samples containing lowest concentrations of vitamin B6 (< 3 mu g g(-1) of pyridoxol) and 12-13% when concentration exceeded 5 mu g g(-1) of pyridoxol, except for the sample of yeast for which the RSD(R) was 26%. These values were satisfactory. Four of the laboratories taking part in this collaborative study have also used the microbiological method recommended by the AOAC. The average results obtained for the two methods were in agreement. The chromatographic method, which is simple and rapid to perform, has been chosen as the official French method for vitamin B6 determination in foodstuff for nutritional purposes.