ISO 12873:2010

Overview

ISO 12873:2010 - "Olive oils and olive-pomace oils - Determination of wax content by capillary gas chromatography" defines a validated analytical method to measure wax content (expressed in mg/kg) in olive oils and olive-pomace oils. The procedure separates individual waxes by carbon-number and is specifically recommended to help distinguish oils obtained by pressing/centrifuging from oils extracted from olive pomace. The method is based on an earlier IOC (International Olive Council) procedure and is intended for routine quality control and regulatory use.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope: Quantitative determination of waxes (esters C40–C46 and related even-carbon esters) in olive oil matrices.
• Sample preparation: Test samples prepared per ISO 661; column fractionation on hydrated silica gel to isolate the low-polarity wax fraction.
• Reagents & standards: Chromatography-grade solvents (n-hexane, diethyl ether, n-heptane), hydrated silica gel, Sudan I dye for elution monitoring, and an internal standard (lauryl arachidate; alternatives recommended).
• Chromatography: Capillary GC with cold on-column injection, flame-ionization detector (FID). Typical capillary column: fused silica, 8–12 m × 0.25–0.32 mm, SE-52/SE-54 or equivalent, film 0.10–0.30 µm.
• GC program: Temperature ramp up to high final temperatures (program reaches ~340 °C; FID at ~350 °C) to resolve high-molecular-weight wax esters.
• Quantification: Peak areas of wax ester series versus internal standard are used to calculate wax content (mg/kg). Results are reported to one decimal place.
• Performance / precision: Interlaboratory precision data (Annex B) from an IOC-organized trial involving 19 laboratories; repeatability and reproducibility limits are provided for reference.
• Reporting & safety: Test report must include sample ID, sampling method, method reference (ISO 12873:2010), results and any deviations. Safety and reagent-grade recommendations apply.

Applications and users

ISO 12873:2010 is used for:

• Quality control in olive oil production and refining operations.
• Regulatory compliance and trade verification to detect olive-pomace oil blending or substitution.
• Accredited testing laboratories performing official analyses for authorities, exporters and importers.
• Research on olive oil composition and processing effects.

Primary users: food testing labs, olive oil producers, regulatory agencies, customs authorities, and laboratories seeking ISO/IOC-aligned methods for wax determination.

Related standards (if applicable)

• ISO 661 - Preparation of test sample (fats and oils)
• ISO 5555 - Sampling (recommended)
• ISO 5725-1 / ISO 5725-2 - Method precision (repeatability and reproducibility)
• COI/T.20/Doc. 18:2007 (IOC method) - basis for this ISO standard

Keywords: ISO 12873:2010, olive oils, olive-pomace oils, wax content, capillary gas chromatography, wax determination, olive oil testing, gas chromatography (GC), analytical method.