6. Conclusion

In a number of cases, the physical and physico-chemical parameters and compositions of major lipid compounds (fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids) are insufficient to characterize and identify fats. Analysis of the minor compounds (sterols, triterpenic alcohols, tocopherols, hydrocarbons, etc.) that make up the main component of unsaponifiable matter provides information that complements the above data. Since unsaponifiable matter is made up of numerous families of compounds, prior fractionation is required to analyze the different families of which it is composed. In most cases, the molecular composition of the various families can be used to determine the quality and purity of the fats. This requires reference to existing, well-documented databases. The search for the main contaminants likely to be found in fats has benefited from the ever-increasing performance of analytical methods....