Corn oil authentication using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics

Obeidat, Safwan; Al-Momani, Idrees F; Lafi, Raghad Y

doi:10.21608/ejchem.2025.360669.11316

Corn oil authentication using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of science, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan

² Department of Chemistry Yarmouk University

³ Department of Chemistry, Yarmouk University, Jordan

10.21608/ejchem.2025.360669.11316

Abstract

The authentication of edible oils is a crucial challenge in food quality control, particularly due to increasing adulteration practices that compromise nutritional value and consumer trust. In this study, Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometric techniques was employed to authenticate commercial corn oil and detect its adulteration with lower-cost vegetable oils such as soybean and palm oils. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was utilized for qualitative assessment and discrimination among different brands, while Principal Component Regression (PCR) and Partial Least Squares (PLS) were applied for quantitative determination of adulteration levels. Spectral analysis in the 4000–600 cm⁻¹ range revealed overlapping spectral features among pure oils, making conventional differentiation challenging. However, chemometric modeling successfully distinguished pure corn oil from adulterated samples and estimated adulteration levels with high accuracy. The integration of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy with chemometric tools provides a rapid, non-destructive, and reliable approach for corn oil authentication, offering significant advantages for regulatory bodies and the food industry in ensuring product integrity.

Keywords