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This study (purchase required – USD$24.95) developed and validated a classification model using portable near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to detect adulterants in butter. Seven adulterants were studied in a range between 2% and 100%: palm fat, margarine, and cottonseed, canola, sunflower, corn, and soybean oils. A total of 412 samples were analyzed, including 12 adulterated samples seized in an operation of the Brazilian Federal Police.

The authors report that their model performed an almost perfect classification, with the discrimination corresponding to key variables associated mainly with C–H (fat) bonds. This interpretation was corroborated by an exploratory principal component analysis (PCA) model. Samples seized by the Brazilian police were effectively detected as non-authentic. The estimate of quantitative parameters, decision limit (CCα) and detection capability (CCβ), for qualitative methods allowed to establish semi-quantitative models.

They conclude that this approach provides a practical, non-destructive, and environmentally friendly solution for food authentication, addressing the urgent need for reliable methods in combating butter adulteration.

Photo by Sorin Gheorghita on Unsplash

n this paper (open access) the authors used of solid-phase microextraction (SPME)-gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC/Q-ToF-MS) combined with chemometrics to detect key differences between adulterated and non-adulterated ground roast coffee. They drilled into these differences and found two potential chemical markers for common adulterants.

They compared the aroma profiles of ground roasted coffee with some commonly used adulterants (ground roasted barley, corn and soybean). The SPME fibre collected and concentrated the headspace volatiles. Non-adulterated and adulterated samples were distinguished after applying some chemometric tools (principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA)) on the obtained chromatographic data. Two volatile compounds (1H-imidazole-4-methanol and benzene-2-(1,3-butadienyl)-1,3,5-trimethyl) were identified as potential markers for the determination of adulterants (ground roasted barley, corn or soybean) in ground roasted coffee (p-value cut-off<0.001 and fold change (FC) cut-off>10). Also, 2-furanmethanol and 2-formyl-1-methylprrrole were found as marker candidates for roasted coffee powder.

The authors tested this approach and were able to detect selected herbal adulterants (5% w/w) found in ground coffee.