Fingerprinting of Oils and Fats Using GC-MS in Combination with Chemometrics

Introduction

Oils and fats are widely used in the commercial manufacturing of food, preparation of fast food and domestic cooking as they enhance flavor and aroma of food. Thus the authentication of oils and fats is of paramount importance not only to consumers but also to manufacturers and local regulatory authorities. The consumers, on the other hand, are concerned with the type of the oils and fats that they consume as these oils and fats can affect their well-being. For example, the consumption of soya bean or peanut oil might trigger allergies like asthma, hives and atopic dermatitis in some consumers. In extreme situation, life-threatening and lethal anaphylaxis might result. Besides, research studies have reported that the prolonged consumption of saturated fats, such as lauric acid (C12:0), which exist mainly in animal fats will lead to an increase in the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in plasma. Besides nutritional and health benefits, religious beliefs also affect the choice of diet. For instance, vegetarians and Hindus are forbidden to eat food products which consist of animal fats and beef respectively. Likewise, Muslims and Jews have religious restriction on the consumption of porcine-originated food products. In view of the great demand for reliable techniques for the identification of various types of oils and fats, the feasibility of GC/MS with the combination of chemometrics in the differentiation of oils and fats was evaluated.

February 14, 2014 GMT