Rapid detection of argan oil adulteration by frying oils using laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy combined with chemometrics tools

There is a contentious need for robust and rapid methodologies for maintaining the authenticity of foods. The aim of this study was to detect and quantify argan oil adulteration using Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy coupled with chemometric methods. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) were used to assess argan oil authenticity; PCA was used to classify samples according to their quality and the PLS model to determine the amount of adulterants in pure argan oil. The correlation coefficient of the obtained model was about 0.99, with Root Mean Square Error of Prediction (RMSEP) and Standard Error of Prediction (SEP) of 2%. This study demonstrated the feasibility of LIF spectroscopy combined with chemometric tools to identify adulterants in pure argan oil from a percentage of adulteration, of 0.35 % without the need to destruct samples.