Facile Verification of Edible Oils with Raman Spectroscopy

Importance of Topic

Reliable identification of edible oils supports food safety quality control and detection of tampering
It also benefits cosmetic and skincare applications where precise oil composition influences product performance

Study Objectives and Overview

This study applied a handheld Raman spectrometer with PCA based verification to distinguish sixteen common edible oils
The aim was to achieve rapid nondestructive identification with high confidence

Methodology and Instrumentation

A training library of sixty samples per oil was built covering natural variation in laser power integration time temperature and lighting
Oil samples were placed in glass vials without pretreatment
The handheld analyzer Mira P with ORS technology performed Raman acquisition and PCA based PASS FAIL verification
Key analysis settings included

• Verification mode with confidence threshold 0.95
• Laser power level 3
• Autointegration with an average of five accumulations
• Vial holder attachment

Key Results and Discussion

All sixteen oils were correctly verified within their own training sets at 95 percent confidence
Obtained p values ranged from 0.145 to 1 indicating robust discrimination
Comparison with literature ranges of 85 to 93 percent accuracy confirmed that optimized training sets and PCA deliver improved performance
Spectral similarity among oils generated low p values in cross validation but did not cause false positives

Benefits and Practical Applications

Rapid nondestructive testing without sample preparation supports quality assurance in food manufacturing and supply chains
Handheld operation enables on site screening and real time decision making for producers and regulators

Future Trends and Opportunities

Expansion of spectral libraries to include blended or processed oils can extend applicability
Integration with cloud based data and machine learning may enhance prediction of adulterants and oxidative degradation
Adapting the approach to other lipid based materials could broaden impact across food cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors

Conclusion

Raman spectroscopy combined with PCA offers a fast accurate and portable solution for edible oil verification
The Mira P instrument achieved full discrimination of sixteen oils at high confidence level demonstrating suitability for industrial quality control

Reference

1 Korifi JD Raman spectroscopy for edible oils J Raman Spect 2011 42 1540
2 Yang X et al Validation of oil composition J Am Oil Chem Soc 2001 78 889
3 Yang X Raman analysis of food systems Food Chem 2005 93 25