DIN EN ISO 12966-2:2011-05

This part of the International Standard specifies a method of preparing the methyl esters of fatty acids. It includes methods for preparing fatty acid methyl esters from animal and vegetable fats and oils, fatty acids and soaps. To cover different requirements, four different methylation methods are specified, namely:
a) a "rapid" transmethylation under alkaline conditions; b) a "general" transmethylation/methylation method under sequential alkaline and acid conditions; c) a BF₃ transmethylation/methylation method; d) an alternative method using acid-catalysed transmethylation of glycerides.
Methyl esters produced in this way are used in various analytical procedures requiring such derivates, for example, gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and infrared spectrometry (IR).
The International Standard has been prepared by ISO/TC 34/SC 11 "Animal and vegetable fats and oils" (secretariat: BSI, United Kingdom). CEN/TC 307 "Oilseeds, vegetable and animal fats and oils and their by-products - Sampling and test methods" (secretariat: AFNOR, France) is responsible for the European Standard. On the national level, NA 057-05-05 AA "Gemeinschaftsausschuss für die Analytik von Fetten, Ölen, Fettprodukten, verwandten Stoffen und Rohstoffen" (GA Fett) ("Joint Committee for the analysis of fats, oil, fat products, related substances and raw materials") of the German Society for Fat Science (DGF) and NAL are responsible for the standard.