Division I PRINCIPLE

An extract of the sample of the pasta for analysis is prepared by using a non-polar solvent.

This extract is chromatographed on a thin layer of silica gel so as to separate the sterols present in various band form fractions.

According to the number of brightly coloured bands it is possible to determine whether the product under examination has been manufactured exclusively from durum wheat or common wheat, or from a mixture of the two. It is also possible to determine whether eggs have been added.