[Detection of low lipase activities in food].

A spectrofluorimetric procedure using 4-methylumbelliferyl esters as substrates was developed for the determination of lipase activity in foods. It was tested with among others whey and egg powders, almonds, pepper, paprika and cinnamon. In addition, some lipase preparations of microbial origin were analyzed. The detection limit of the method is one to two orders of magnitude lower than that of a test paper which contains indoxyl acetate as the substrate.