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Spectral Similarity Score (SSS)-Barcoding for the Quality Control of LACTEM Emulsifiers by High-Performance
Katharina Schuster1, Sedef Torun1, Inès Kainz2
1Department of Food Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry (170a), Institute of Food Chemistry, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstrasse 28, Stuttgart 70599, Germany.
Abstract:
LACTEM emulsifiers are widely applied in the food industry to adjust and improve techno-functional properties of food products. The study introduces a high-performance thin-layer chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPTLC-FLD) fingerprint method for the similarity assessment of these emulsifiers using a straightforward barcoding approach based on the concept of spectral similarity scores (SSS), referred to as SSS-barcoding. Analysis of 21 LACTEM emulsifiers showed similarities between two emulsifiers as low as 67%, despite the same product labeling. The method also revealed batch-to-batch variability. Limitations were identified when applying the method to fatty matrices. Finally, partial least-squares regression (PLSR) was applied as a proof-of-concept to predict the techno-functional properties of aerosol whipping cream, such as drainage, apparent viscosity, foam firmness, particle size (D90,3), and overrun, from the densitometric data.

