[Detection of mineral oil and paraffin in foods].

The author describes a thin-layer chromatographic method for the detection of small amounts of mineral oil and paraffin in foods. Fatty acids, glycerides, fat-soluble vitamins, sterols, and unsaturated hydrocarbons remain at the starting point. This method permits to detect as little as 0.2 mug of mineral oil or 20 mug of mineral oil/kg of food in low-fat products. 0.01% of mineral oil-like contaminants may be detected in fats.