High pressure liquid chromatographic determination of cholesterol in foods.

A high pressure liquid chromatographic method that uses the benzoate ester of cholesterol has been developed for the measurement of cholesterol in foods. A 300 x 3.9 mm id muBondapak C18 column and a variable wavelength ultraviolet detector are used with a 100% methanol mobile phase. Amounts as low as 10 ng cholesterol benzoate can be detected. The results from the analyses of a variety of foods are given and compared with results from gas-liquid chromatographic analyses. The comparison of the 2 chromatographic techniques is favorable.