Reichert value

The Reichert value is an indicator of how much volatile fatty acid can be extracted from a particular fat or oil through saponification.

It is equal to the number of millilitres of 0.1 normal hydroxide solution necessary for the neutralization of the water-soluble volatile fatty acids distilled and filtered from 5 grams of a given saponified fat.

)[1] This number is a useful indicator of non-fat compounds in edible fats, and is especially high in butter.

The value is named for the chemists who developed it, Emil Reichert and Emerich Meissl.

[2] The Polenske value and Kirschner value are related numbers based on similar tests.