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Choosing the right olive oil can be difficult as consumers face dozens of brands from different countries and at widely varying prices.
The challenge has become more serious with the rise of commercial fraud, including mixing olive oil with other vegetable oils or adding color and flavor compounds to make adulterated oils appear authentic.
Obtaining pure, high-quality olive oil remains a major concern for consumers, especially when they do not have access to a trusted source.
A new scientific method may help detect adulteration using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology.
Rising fraud in olive oil encouraged King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia to develop a new method for detecting and measuring adulterants in olive oil, in cooperation with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority.
The method comes at a time when the European Union has recorded high levels of olive oil fraud and label falsification, raising concerns across the industry and among consumers.
The new approach uses NMR spectroscopy and was published in the scientific journal Food Control.
The method aims to verify whether olive oil sold in supermarkets is authentic and matches what is stated on product labels.
The global olive oil market was estimated to exceed $14 billion last year and is expected to continue growing during the coming decade.
Saudi Arabia is one of the major olive oil importers worldwide, which increases the need for reliable analytical tools to detect adulteration.
Some producers may mix olive oil or extra virgin olive oil with other vegetable oils, allowing lower-quality products to be sold at lower prices while misleading consumers.
The Saudi Food and Drug Authority is working to strengthen food safety for citizens and residents and began searching for innovative analytical methods to evaluate olive oil quality.
KAUST was selected as a key research partner because of its advanced expertise in analytical technologies, especially high-resolution NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis.
Dr. Hiba Al-Harbi from the authority’s reference laboratories said the joint project reflects the authority’s commitment to improving food quality and safety standards in Saudi Arabia.
The research team applied NMR technology and multivariate statistical methods to identify and quantify adulterants in olive oil samples.
The strong magnetic field of the instruments provided high precision, helping detect levels of adulteration that are usually difficult to discover.
In addition to its accuracy, NMR offers other advantages. Sample preparation is relatively simple, saving time and effort compared with standard analytical methods used in the industry.
The technique is also non-destructive, which can support broader efforts to standardize olive oil quality testing.
Dr. Abdul-Hamid Emwas, a KAUST scientist specializing in NMR and a contributor to the project, said KAUST has one of the most advanced NMR facilities in Saudi Arabia.
He explained that such equipment requires major investment and maintenance, making KAUST an ideal partner for highly precise analytical research.
The two sides are also studying the possibility of expanding the partnership to detect plastics, microplastics, and other contaminants in edible oils.
The work with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority shows how advanced analytical research can help improve food quality and public health in the Kingdom.
Source: Erem Business