This International Standard specifies a method for the quantitative determination of phospholipids content by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a diol column and a light-scattering detector. The method is applicable to crude, oil-containing lecithins, and to oil-free lecithins and lecithin fractions from vegetable fats and oils. The method is not applicable to animal and ruminant lecithins and enzymatically hydrolysed lecithins as the peak separation of lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE), lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI) and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is insufficient.