A rapid method for the detection of extra virgin olive oil adulteration using UHPLC-CAD profiling of triacylglycerols and PCA

Adulteration in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a common fraud due to its superior value over other edible oils. Traditional methods of fatty acid and sterol profiling for detecting adulteration demand large amounts of time and excessive use of labor and solvents therefore, new methodologies are needed to determine the authenticity of EVOO that are both time-efficient and cost-effective. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) with charged aerosol detection (CAD) was employed to characterize EVOO along with potential adulterant oils based on their triacylglycerol (TAG) profiles. Statistical analysis of these TAGs using principal component analysis (PCA) allows for a rapid approach to determine EVOO authenticity. Using this approach, adulteration of EVOO with cheaper vegetable and seed oils and lower-quality olive oils had detection limits at or below 10%, depending on the adulterant. Compared to traditional methods, UHPLC-CAD with PCA involves minimal sample preparation combined with fast analysis, for a rapid determination of EVOO authenticity.