Inulin determination for food labeling.

Inulin and oligofructose exhibit valuable nutritional and functional attributes, so they are used as supplements as soluble fiber or as macronutrient substitutes. As classic analytical methods for dietary fiber measurement are not effective, several specific methods have been proposed. These methods measure total fructans and are based on one or more enzymatic sample treatments and determination of released sugars. To determine inulin for labeling purposes, we developed an easy and rapid anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method following water extraction of inulin. HPLC conditions included an Aminex HPX- 87C column (Bio-Rad), deionized water at 85 degrees C as the mobile phase and a refractive index detector. The tested foods included tailor-made food products containing known amounts of inulin and commercial products (cookies, milk, ice creams, cheese, and cereal bars). The average recovery was 97%, and the coefficient of variation ranged from 1.1 to 5% in the food matrixes. The obtained results showed that this method provides an easier, faster and cheaper alternative than previous techniques for determining inulin with enough accuracy and precision for routine labeling purposes by direct determination of inulin by HPLC with refractive index detection.