AOAC Official Method 932.11 Essential Oil in Flavor Extracts and Toilet Preparations
Babcock Method
First Action 1932
Final Action 1992
(Applicable to extracts of allspice, anise, caraway, lemon, nutmeg,orange, peppermint, pimiento, rosemary, thyme, wintergreen, and
methyl salicylate.)
Pipet 10 mL test sample (5 mL when oil content is >5% by volume)into Babcock milk test bottle, add 0.50mLsolvent (equal parts USP mineral oil and H2O-free kerosene) and 1 mL HCl (1 + 1), and fill to shoulder with saturated NaCl solution. Shake bottle 3 min; then add the NaCl solution to bring column of oil within graduations on neck. Centrifuge 10 min at high speed and read volume oil from extreme bottom to extreme top of column. (Read from extreme bottom to bottom of meniscus at top of column for allspice, peppermint,and pimiento extracts.) To obtain % oil, subtract 2.5 divisions and
multiply remainder by 2. (Multiply by 4 if 5 mL sample is used.)
References: JAOAC 15, 539(1932); 16, 65, 541(1933); 17, 364(1934); 19, 407(1936).
