Sample handling strategies for the determination of biophenols in food and plants

The analysis of phenols in samples of plant and food origin attracts considerable attention. However, sample handling is often an ignored feature of the analysis. This review highlights the importance of sample extraction in an analysis and the problems that can arise during this step. Many questions remain unanswered and there is a need to more carefully validate extraction efficiencies. Although many new procedures have been developed the use of traditional techniques still dominates. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.