COMPARATIVE INVESTIGATION OF THE USE OF STEROL COMPOSITION, ECN42 DIFFERENCE AND FTIR SPECTROSCOPY IN THE DETERMINATION OF VIRGIN OLIVE OIL ADULTERATION
Project no. 22473 · Status: Kapanmış · 2021
Summary
<p>Due to its high price and consumer demand, virgin olive oil is an essential product vulnerable to deception for unfair economic gain. Detecting these frauds, defined as adulteration, is vital in protecting the product's real economic value and presenting the product with known content to the consumer. In our research, sunflower, palm olein and cottonseed oil were mixed with virgin olive oil in different proportions. Sterol composition, Equivalent Carbon Number 42 (ΔECN42) value and FTIR spectra of the samples were used to classify the prepared blended oils from virgin olive oil samples, and results were compared. Decision trees on Δ7-stigmastenol and campesterol allowed the detection of 10% and higher adulteration. ΔECN42 ad FTIR provided good detection and classification of the adulterated samples from virgin olive oil samples, even for the mixed oils at 1% concentration. However, the FTIR method's performance decreased as the virgin olive oil sample set expanded with different seasons and varieties. Correct multivariate approach and FTIR data selection significantly influence the performance of FTIR spectroscopy for detecting VOO adulteration.</p>