The use of infrared spectroscopy in combination with chemometrics for quality control and authentication of edible fats and oils: A review

Edible fats and oils provide a significant contribution in our diet and daily life, as cooking or frying oil, or as components used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics products. Fats and oils are characterized by specific values, including acid value, saponification value, iodine value, and peroxide value, as well as the oxidation products which occur during storage due to oxidative and hydrolytic deterioration. Currently, due to the high price of edible fats and oils, some unethical producers adulterate high-value edible oils like olive oil with low-priced oils like palm and corn oils; therefore the authentication analysis of edible fats and oils must be assured by introducing reliable and fast methods like infrared spectroscopy. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is an ideal technique for monitoring the quality control of fats and oils due to its property as a “fingerprint spectra technique,” which allows analysts to differentiate among fats and oils. FTIR spectra signals of fats and oils are very complex. Fortunately, a statistical technique called chemometrics can be used to handle the complex FTIR spectral data. Chemometrics in combination with FTIR spectroscopy has been widely used in many aspects of monitoring quality control of edible fats and oils including their authenticity.