A two-tier approach for the detection of contaminants and adulterants in sunflower oil to protect consumer safety

Abstract

Background

The global vegetable oil market is valued at US$105.6 billion, with sunflower seed oil ranking fourth in consumption. However, recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic and regional conflicts have disrupted production and supply chains, leaving them vulnerable to fraudulent practices such as adulteration with cheaper oils and mineral oils.

Scope and approach

This review analyses the underlying causes and consequences of adulteration in the sunflower oil industry, as well as the analytical techniques utilized for its identification and mitigation. Consuming low-quality imported food due to economically motivated adulteration can adversely affect the economy and consumer health. For instance, the food poisoning epidemic caused by Spain's fake olive oil scandal severely jeopardized the country's consumer health.

Key findings and conclusions

Thus, considering these factors, a two-tier approach is required to identify and mitigate the occurrence of fraud and any contaminants. The tier 1 rapid screening tool is a Raman spectroscopic technique coupled with chemometrics for the on-package in situ inspection, and the tier 2 confirmation tool is a chromatographic technique augmented with mass spectrometry to authenticate suspect samples identified in tier 1 screening. Incorporating Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) in a two-tier approach can efficiently ensure food safety in the global supply chains.