Oxalic acid determination

What is oxalic acid?

Oxalic acid is an organic acid naturally present in many plants, including spinach, rhubarb, chard, and beets. It is also commonly found in concentrated plant extracts and some dietary supplement formulations.

In high doses, it can bind to minerals such as calcium or magnesium, forming insoluble oxalates. These compounds can reduce the bioavailability of nutrients or promote the formation of kidney stones. Its dosage is therefore essential for nutritional quality and health safety.

Why analyze oxalic acid?

The dosage of oxalic acids allows:

• Check the oxalate content in plant products intended for human or animal consumption
• Optimize nutraceutical or phytotherapeutic formulations
• Secure plant-rich products in specific diets (low in oxalates)
• Evaluate the quality of plant extracts for technical or cosmetic applications
• Meet regulatory or commercial expectations related to nutritional labeling or export

Available analytical methods

Oxalic acid is usually measured by:

• HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography): reference method for food and plant matrices
• LC-MS (liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry): for sensitive analysis in complex or low concentration matrices

These techniques allow for reliable, reproducible quantification, adapted to the standards of the food, nutraceutical and cosmetic industries.

Affected matrices

• Plant extracts (powders, liquids, capsules)
• Leafy vegetables (spinach, chard, rhubarb)
• Processed products: vegetable juices, smoothies, fortified foods
• Nutritional formulations and food supplements
• Animal feed (fodder, premixes)
• Plant or agricultural raw materials

A standardized extraction is carried out before the analysis to guarantee the representativeness of the results.

Quality and regulatory aspects

Although oxalic acid is not subject to a uniform regulatory limit in Europe, its dosage is:

• Recommended for products intended for people at risk (kidney stones, oxaluria)
• Necessary in quality certification or export procedures
• Relevant in the valorization of low oxalate ingredients
• Integrated into targeted formulations (specific diets, kidney health)

It constitutes a strategic quality control parameter in the plant and nutraceutical sectors.

Why use YesWeLab?

YesWeLab centralizes the best analytical expertise for you thanks to a network of ISO 17025 or COFRAC accredited partner laboratories, selected according to your technical and regulatory constraints.

Our commitments:

• Guidance on the method best suited to your matrix
• Scientific support from our experts
• Track your requests via our secure digital platform
• Delivery of clear and actionable reports

Need a reliable oxalic acid dosage?

Contact our team now or request a quote online to schedule your analysis as soon as possible.

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• Phytic acid dosage
• Coumarin dosage