Flash Gas Chromatography in Tandem with Chemometrics: A Rapid Screening Tool for Quality Grades of Virgin Olive Oils

• Published in: Foods Vol. 9; no. 7; p. 862
• Main Authors: Barbieri, Sara, Cevoli, Chiara, Bendini, Alessandra, Quintanilla-Casas, Beatriz, García-González, Diego Luis, Gallina Toschi, Tullia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 02.07.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Agreements; Chemometrics; Chromatography; Classification; Discriminant analysis; Food science; Gas chromatography; Independent variables; Laboratories; Mass spectrometry; Matrix methods; Methods; Olive oil; Quality; Scientific imaging; sensory analysis; Sensory evaluation; Sensory perception; Sensory properties; virgin olive oil; volatile compounds; Spain; virgin olive oil; volatile compounds; chemometrics; quality; sensory analysis
• ISSN: 2304-8158; 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods9070862

This research aims to develop a classification model based on untargeted elaboration of volatile fraction fingerprints of virgin olive oils ( = 331) analyzed by flash gas chromatography to predict the commercial category of samples (extra virgin olive oil, EVOO; virgin olive oil, VOO; lampante olive oil, LOO). The raw data related to volatile profiles were considered as independent variables, while the quality grades provided by sensory assessment were defined as a reference parameter. This data matrix was elaborated using the linear technique partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), applying, in sequence, two sequential classification models with two categories (EVOO vs. no-EVOO followed by VOO vs. LOO and LOO vs. no-LOO followed by VOO vs. EVOO). The results from this large set of samples provide satisfactory percentages of correctly classified samples, ranging from 72% to 85%, in external validation. This confirms the reliability of this approach in rapid screening of quality grades and that it represents a valid solution for supporting sensory panels, increasing the efficiency of the controls, and also applicable to the industrial sector.