Fecha de publicación: 25/10/2024 Fuente: Foods - Revista científica (MDPI) Foods, Vol. 13, Pages 3399: A Multi-Isotopic Chemometric Approach for Tracing Hazelnut Origins
Foods doi: 10.3390/foods13213399
Authors:
Berta Torres-Cobos
Mònica Rosell
Albert Soler
Mercè Rovira
Agustí Romero
Francesc Guardiola
Stefania Vichi
Alba Tres

High-value products, such as hazelnuts, are particularly vulnerable to fraud due to their price dependence on geographical origin. Guaranteeing hazelnuts’ authenticity is essential for consumer trust and safety. Stable isotope analysis has become a reference method for origin authentication as it is reliable, robust, and easily transferable across laboratories. However, multiple isotopic markers coupled with chemometric techniques are often needed to authenticate food provenance accurately. In this study, we focused on assessing the potential of bulk δ18O, along with δ2H and δ13C of the main fatty acids, as hazelnut-origin authenticity markers. PLS-DA classification models were developed to differentiate samples (n = 207) according to their region of origin. This multi-isotopic approach provided promising external validation results, achieving a 94% global correct classification rate in discriminating hazelnuts from regions with distinct geographical and environmental conditions. This study lays the groundwork for further model development and evaluation across additional production areas and harvest years.