This application note from Canadian testing company Purity-IQ builds upon published methods to describe the use of proton NMR in authenticity testing of herbs and spices. Proton NMR, with non-targeted metabolomic profiling, can be used for botanical species authentication but also to detect product anomalies. It is particularly useful for detecting dyes, as both natural and synthetic dyes tend to contain spectrally-distinctive aromatic ring structures. In this application, the principle was demonstrated by the clear differentiation of paprika spiked with Sudan dyes, turmeric spiked with metanil yellow, and beet/grape extracts spiked with black rice extract.
Image from the application note.
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