Olive oil by capillary electrophoresis: characterization and genuineness

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Olive oil, derived from Olea europaea L. fruits, is a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet.
• Ensuring the quality and authenticity of olive oil is crucial, especially with the rise of high-value monovarietal products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and evaluate the application of capillary electrophoresis (CE) for olive oil analysis.
• To assess the current state of CE techniques in characterizing olive oil and verifying its authenticity over the past decade.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on studies published in the last ten years concerning olive oil analysis by CE.
• Evaluation of separation conditions, analytical objectives, and specific compounds (analytes) investigated using CE.

Main Results:

• Capillary electrophoresis has been successfully employed for characterizing olive oil and conducting authenticity studies.
• CE is particularly valuable for verifying the botanical origin of olive oils, crucial for quality control and combating fraud.
• The technique demonstrates a favorable balance of sample throughput, minimal sample volume, robust characterization, and sustainability.

Conclusions:

• Capillary electrophoresis is a powerful and versatile analytical tool for the comprehensive analysis of olive oil.
• CE facilitates the quality control of monovarietal olive oils and supports regulatory efforts against adulteration.
• The method's efficiency and sustainability make it an ideal choice for analyzing target compounds in olive oils.