UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPUR

MALAYSIAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL & BIOENGINEERING

TECHNOLOGY
LABORATORY REPORT
SUBMISSION FORM
To: Miss Aida Safina binti Aridi

Code Subject: CFD30003

From: 1. Nur Husna Hafiza Lyana bt Ramzah

Student ID. No.: 1. 55101214091

2. Nur Ain Farahana bt Jusoh

2. 55101214154

3. Nur Afifah bt Mat Razali

3. 55101214090

4. Nur Syazwani bt Abd Zalil

4. 55101214078

No. of Group: 3

Date of Experiment: 5 October 2015

Title of Experiment: Fat Determination Using Soxhlet Method

Received by: Miss Aida Safina bt Aridi

Date of Submission: 12 October 2015

Note: Late submission will not be accepted.

*To be filled by the marker*
CRITERIA
1.0 INTRODUCTION & OBJECTIVES (1 PAGE
ONLY) (TOTAL: 10%)

VERY
POOR
1

POOR
2

GOOD
3

VERY
GOOD
4

EXCELLENT
5

10

10

1. State the background to the experiment

conducted.
2. Summary of theories including formulations
related to the experimental work.
3. State the objectives of the experiment (point
form)
2.0 PROCEDURE (1 PAGE ONLY) (TOTAL: 10%)
1. Explain step by step used in performing this
experiment. (Include reasons for respective step if
there is any)

3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS (MINIMUM 3

PAGES) (TOTAL: 20%)
1. Data are presented as deemed suitable with
complete label and units in tables and/or graphs.
2. Explanations of the referred tables and/or
graphs are presented after it.

12

16

20

5.0 CONCLUSIONS (TOTAL: 5%)

1. Summary of the results to relate the findings or
results with the theory applicable to the
experiment.

6.0 REFERENCES (TOTAL: 5%)

3. Discuss on the findings and relations to the

theory and objective of experiment.

1.Minimum of 4 references.

1.0

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

1.1

Objectives

This objective of this experiment was:

1.2

To determine the crude fat content in food product using Soxhlet method
To familiarize with the Soxhlet method
Introduction
Fats are the substance that are soluble in organic solvent such as ether, hexane and

chloroform but insoluble in water. Fat consists of triacylglycerol, monoacylglycerol and several
fatty acids. Fat may be exist in the form of liquid or solid in the room temperature, depending on
their structure and composition. Fat is one of the example of lipids that play a crucial role in
determining the overall physical characteristics of food. The importance of lipids can be varied
but the most important functions of lipids are culinary, physiological and nutritional.
There are several ways used in order to determine the fat content in sample and one of it
is solvent extraction method. In this experiment, Soxhlet extraction method was used to
determine the fat content in the sample. Soxhlet extraction method is a continuous solvent that is
usually used to remove fats from the sample. Other than that, the determination of crude fats in
the food sample can also be determined by using the Soxhlet extraction.
The experiment was done by weighing 2g the sample, Brand B Cream Cracker (SiangSiang), into an extraction thimble and then being transferred in Soxhlet extraction. A 125 ml of
petroleum ether was added in the solvent beaker. After 2 hours and 30 minutes, the fat content
was determined by weigh the fat extracted. At the end of the experiment, the mean total fat (%)
was 24.27%. Besides, the fat weight determined in this experiment was 0.4866g per 2g of cream
crackers which is slightly higher than the fat the content stated at the nutritional fact on the
packaging which is 0.3857g per 2g of cream crackers.

2.0

MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES

2.1

Equipment and Supplies

Soxhlet extraction unit and its apparatus, analytical balance, cotton wool, filter paper, samples;
Brand Bs cream crackers (Siang Siang), chemical solution; petroleum ether.
2.2

Test Procedures
First step was, two empty solvent beakers were weighed to record the initial weight of

container. Approximately 2 grams of samples on filter papers were then weighed and this was
done twice, as duplicate; Replicate 1 and Replicate 2 with respective to Solvent Beaker 1 and
Solvent Beaker 2. The filter papers containing the samples were put into the thimble and covered
with cotton wool, before being transferred in the Soxhlet extraction. An amount of 125 ml of
petroleum ether was added in the solvent beakers. After that, the process was started up. After 2
hours and 30 minutes of process completion, the solvent beakers containing the extracted fat
were dried in a preheated oven of 100C for another 30 minutes. Then, the beakers were allowed
to cool in the dessicators for another 10 minutes before the final weight was taken.

3.0

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

3.1

Result

TABLE 1: Test Data

Test Data
Sample Data
Empty Solvent beaker, A (g)
Sample weight, B (g)
Solvent beaker + Fat after drying, C (g)
Fat weight, D = [ C A] (g)
Average fat weight (g)

Replicate 1
86.0723
2.0023
86.5377
0.4654
0.4866

Replicate 2
87.5213
2.0065
88.0029
0.5077

Replicate 1

Replicate 2

TABLE 2: Test Result

Test Result
Test Data
Total Fat (%) =

23.24%

Mean of Total Fat (%)

25.30%
24.27%

Table 3: Comparison Weight of Fat

Brand
A
B

Mean weight of fat (g)

0.4576
0.4866

3.2

Discussion
Fat is an important ingredient in cream cracker as its add structure, eating quality and

flavor to the product. Fat may also be presented in a generic form such as shortening which is a
term used to describe one of the key functions of fat in cream cracker which is to shorten the
dough that is, to give it the melt in mouth feels to the consumer, and crumbly texture which a
characteristic of cream cracker. The Soxhlet extraction method, semi continuous extraction
method, used for determine crude fat content in cream cracker. The Soxhlet allows one to extract
fats from a solid sample into a liquid, leaving behind any impurities. It also used small volume of
solvent over and over again. [Classic Kit: Soxhlet Extractor. (2007) Royal Society of Chemistry.
[Online].

[Accessed

on

10

October,

2015].

Available

from

World

Wide

Web:

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2007/September/ClassicKitSoxhletExtractor.asp]
During this process, the solvent builds up in the extraction chamber for 5-10 minutes and
completely surrounds the 2g cream cracker sample of Brand B, and then siphons back to the
boiling flask. Fat content is measured by weigh loss of the sample or by weigh of the fat
removed.
Based on Table 1: Test Data, the total fat content in the cream cracker sample for
Replicate 1 and Replicate 2 is 0.4654g and 0.5077g respectively with a mean of 0.4866g. The fat
content was measured by weigh loss of the sample after extracting using a Soxhlet extractor.
Next, the percentage of the fat content in the cream cracker sample used also was
calculated using a formula given;

Total Fat =

fat weight
100
sample weight

The fat content percentage for each sample were recorded in Table 2; Test Result. Based
on Table 2, for Replicate 1, the fat content percentage of the sample is 23.24%, for and Replicate
2, 25.30%. The mean of fat content percentage of the three replicates is 24.27%.

Furthermore, the result obtained is compared with another brand which is Brand A. Brand
A has extracted 0.4576g of fat from 2g of cream cracker sample. The weight of fat from Brand A
is slightly lower than Brand B which is 0.4866g. This slight difference is may be due to the raw
material used by the manufacturer to produce the cream cracker. Manufacturer of Brand B might
has used more butter to make the product to meet consumer demands.

4.0

CONCLUSION
By the end of the experiment of fat determination by Soxhlet method, the average of the

fat content per serving packet in Hwa Tai biscuit is lower compared to fat ingredient stated at the
nutritional facts. The percentage of the fat per serving in the experiment is not accurate and not
significant as with the nutrition facts given. One of the error was the extraction method that was
Soxhlet method which used petroleum ether. In the experiment, petroleum ether was used as nonpolar and as the greater molarity, the more the yield of specific extraction. Due to that, in the
experiment, the petroleum ether could not be able to break some of the polar shells that
surrounded some of the lipid and could reach the complete extraction of lipid inside the sample
of biscuit in the food packaging. Soxhlet method only gives the free fatty acid amount of the
sample.
Due to the error during the experiment that was the sample was not been extracted
properly by using Soxhlet method as the method only give the free fatty acid amount of the
sample. For the recommendation, the total fat extraction method result can be used for the result
in both free and bound fat for the higher value in total fat extraction.

5.0

REFERENCES

Internet:

[Classic Kit: Soxhlet Extractor. (2007) Royal Society of Chemistry. [Online]. [Accessed
on 10 October, 2015]. Available from World Wide Web:
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2007/September/ClassicKitSoxhletExtractor.as
p

Journal:

MEAT TECHNOLOGY- INFORMATION SHEET. (1998), Reprinted November (2006),

Crude Fat Determination-Soxhlet Method. Meat and Live Stock Australia.

Book:

Stanley C., Linda Y. (2009) The ICC Handbook of Cereals, Flour, Dough & Product
Testing: Methods and Application. Lancaster, PA. DEStech Publications Inc.p158