673. A rapid, solvent-free approach for detecting adulteration of vegetable oils using a single diagnostic region with low field NMR
Kathryn Williamson, Pierre-Alain Golay, Francesca Guiffrida, Liming Wang, Jürgen Kolz, Simona Rambousek, JFoodCompositionAnalysis, (2025), DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2025.107726
Recent advancements in low field (LF) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometers have made this powerful and accurate technology more accessible, enabling detailed authenticity assessment in a cost-effective manner. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the potential of LF NMR for rapid oil authentication in an industrial setting. A fast, user-friendly, and ecological approach was achieved by conducting a solvent-free oil analysis using a single scan 1H NMR measurement on a LF 80 MHz NMR instrument. The analysis identified the allylic signals at δ 2.0 ppm as a potential diagnostic region, effective in detecting adulteration in the oil samples. Integrating of just one region makes the data analysis rapid and easy to use in a food factory. It allows for the successful detection of adulteration in two types of vegetable oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), rapeseed and sunflower oil, at levels ranging from 5 % to 25 %. Specifically, the study found that adulteration in rapeseed oil could be detected at levels as low as 5 % when adulterated with soybean oil, 10 % when adulterated with sesame and cottonseed oils, and 25 % for corn oil and safflower oil. In the case of sunflower oil, cottonseed oil can be identified at 5 % adulteration, while corn, sesame, and safflower oils can be detected at 25 % adulteration. The findings highlight LF NMR as a valuable tool for identifying adulteration in edible oils, with applications in various industries. This method would benefit from further research to validate the allylic region as a diagnostic region of oil adulteration.