An effective tool in the fight against adulteration and fraud

A team of researchers from the Universities of Bari and Milan has developed an innovative non-destructive analysis system for the rapid, sustainable, and low-cost evaluation of the quality of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)This advance represents an effective tool in the fight against adulteration and fraud in one of the most affected food sectors.

Technical and Research

The new protocol, published in the journal Food ChemistryIt is based on the application of chemometric and artificial intelligence (AI) approaches to Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy.

The main objective is estimate the concentration of fatty acid ethyl estersThese are key indicators of the quality and authenticity of extra virgin olive oil. Currently, this parameter is determined using gas chromatography (GC). Although GC is reliable, it is a complex, slow, expensive procedure and that requires the use of chemical reagents and specialized laboratories.

The proposed method takes advantage of the information obtained by the FT-IR spectroscopy, which generates a spectral fingerprint of the product. This footprint is analyzed using multivariate analysis and machine learning models.

The role of Artificial Intelligence

The most effective algorithm identified in the study uses the XGBoost technique. Thanks also to the use of explainable AI tools, the algorithm is able to identify and interpret the spectral regions most strongly associated with the presence of ethyl esters. This process allows the detection of correlations that are invisible to the human eye and to traditional analysis methods. without needing to destroy the sample.

Impact and Future

The implementation of this technology has the potential to drastically reduce the time and costs of analysisIn addition to reducing the environmental impact associated with traditional methods, it will allow for rapid screening of larger quantities of samples, providing an immediate and reliable indication of product compliance.

Although this approach does not yet replace the official method (gas chromatography), it can immediately serve as an effective preliminary tool for producers, factories, consortia, and certification bodies, specifically improving the quality control processes.

The research team, which is part of the METROFOOD-IT project, is already working to expand the set of experimental data and extend the methodology to the evaluation of other important quality parameters of EVOO, such as:

• Acidity
• Peroxide value
• Phenolic content

The ultimate goal is to develop an integrated system capable of providing a complete and rapid product evaluation, revolutionizing quality control in the agri-food sector and detecting fraudThe combination of spectroscopy with artificial intelligence is emerging as the future for making quality testing more accessible and efficient.