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Rapid Authentication and Detection of Olive Oil Adulteration Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Eleni Nanou1,2, Nefeli Pliatsika1,2, Stelios Couris1,2
1Department of Physics, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 23, 2023
Summary
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) with machine learning rapidly detects olive oil adulteration. This photonic technology offers a fast, reliable solution for ensuring olive oil authenticity and quality control.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Olive oil adulteration poses significant risks to food safety and consumer trust.
- European Union regulations like Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) aim to ensure authenticity.
- Need for rapid, real-time analytical methods for quality control is increasing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and evaluate Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for real-time olive oil adulteration detection.
- To assess the efficacy of LIBS combined with machine learning tools for identifying adulterants.
- To provide a reliable, fast method for ensuring olive oil authenticity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) as a photonic technology.
- Applied machine learning algorithms to analyze LIBS spectral data.
- Tested the technique on olive oil adulterated with pomace, soybean, sunflower, and corn oils.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated high efficiency of the LIBS technique for rapid adulteration detection.
- Confirmed the potential of LIBS for real-time quality control of olive oil.
- Successfully identified adulterants in olive oil samples using the proposed method.
Conclusions:
- LIBS is a highly effective and promising technique for detecting olive oil adulteration.
- The combination of LIBS and machine learning offers a robust solution for real-time food authenticity analysis.
- This technology supports food safety authorities and consumers in verifying olive oil quality.
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