High-Density Balsamic Vinegar: Application of Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis to Determine Watering Down

Balsamic vinegar of Modena (ABM) is a product obtained from concentrated grape must with the addition of wine vinegar. It can be adulterated with the addition of exogenous water. The official method EN16466-3, based on the analysis of the stable isotope ratio δ¹⁸O of the water, is not applicable to ABM with high density (above 1.20 at 20 °C). In this work, for the first time, the official method was modified, providing for a prior dilution of the sample and applying a correction of the data in order to eliminate the isotopic contribution of the diluent, whereupon the within- and between-day standard deviations of repeatability (Sr) were estimated. Considering the limit values of δ¹⁸O for vinegar and concentrated must, the threshold limit of δ¹⁸O, below which the ABM product can be considered adulterated, has been identified.