Hazelnut products traceability through combined isotope ratio mass spectrometry and multi-elemental analysis

Abstract

Background

Raw and processed hazelnut commodities are often the subject of fraudulent geographical declarations. Italian products are the main target of these illegal activities as their quality is high and certified, and the prices are bigger. Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) could play a key role in origin discrimination. The present study aims to assess the provenience of Italian hazelnuts, by analysing relative isotopic ratios of carbon and oxygen.

Results

Method development is performed by evaluating samples' repeatability, reproducibility, and robustness. The results are reproducible and robust, having acceptable standard deviations. One-way ANOVA demonstrates the significant statistical difference between Italian and non-Italian samples. Furthermore, a data fusion approach, with inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), permitted to build multivariate statistical models to confirm the differences of geographical provenience. A design of experiment (DoE) is created to sample correctly, considering factors such as variety, processing, and peel percentage.

Conclusion

N = 96 hazelnut lots, from Italy, Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, are analysed for the geographical assessment: this strategy demonstrates promising potentialities, as food isotopic abundances reflect ground and climate-related features, typical of precise locations.