Asia Pacific food analysis network (APFAN) training exercise: the determination of niacin in cereals by alkaline extraction and high performance liquid chromatography

Analysts from 20 laboratories, mainly from developing countries in the Asia Pacific Food Analysis Network (APFAN), were invited to participate in a training exercise for the determination of niacin (vitamin B3) in cereals using alkaline extraction and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as the determinative step. The purpose of the study was to assist these laboratories in adopting a robust HPLC method for the determination of niacin in these foods. The exercise was divided into three discrete phases. Analysts were supplied with the validated method together with all of the chemicals and solid-phase extraction columns that were necessary to complete the three phases of the exercise. Phase 1 of the study consisted of a “hands on” workshop for 10 overseas analysts conducted at the 6th APFAN workshop held at the Queensland Health Scientific Services Laboratory, Brisbane, Australia, in May 1999. In phase 1, each analyst was requested to determine the niacin content of three samples of finely ground breakfast cereal that contained a known amount of niacin. Phase 2 involved these analysts as well as analysts from 12 other laboratories in the APFAN network. The analysts were requested to determine the niacin content of a fortified reference material (American Association of Cereal Chemists VMA 195) containing niacin in the range 13.9–20.1 mg/100 g in their own laboratories. Twelve participants reported levels of niacin ranging from 10.6 to 21.7 mg/100 g. Analysts who successfully completed this phase then participated in phase 3, involving the analysis of five different cereal types of unknown niacin content. Eight sets of data were reported for phase 3. Approximately half of the data were in the expected range for the levels of niacin in the samples.