Impact of Roasting on Identification of Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) Origin: A Chemometric Approach

Hazelnuts belonging to different cultivars or cultivated in different geographic areas can be differentiated by their chemical profile; however, the roasting process may affect the composition of raw hazelnuts, thus compromising the possibility to identify their origin in processed foods. In this work, we characterized raw and roasted hazelnuts (Tonda Gentile Trilobata, TGT, from Italy and from Chile, Tonda di Giffoni from Italy, and Tombul from Turkey), as well as hazelnuts isolated from commercial products, with the aim to discriminate their cultivar and origin. The chemometric evaluation of selected chemical parameters (proximate composition, fatty acids, total polyphenols, antioxidant activity, and protein fingerprint by SDS-PAGE) permitted us to identify hazelnuts belonging to different cultivars and, concerning TGT samples, their different geographic origin. Also commercial samples containing Piedmontese TGT hazelnuts were correctly assigned to TGT cluster. In conclusion, even if the roasting process modifies the composition of roasted hazelnuts, this preliminary model study suggests that the identification of their origin is still possible.