MRI for Olive Oil and Cheese Composition

CIUDAD REAL, SpainAdulteration of olive oil, especially extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), is a common problem in the food industry as the products healthy and haute-culinary halo keeps its prices and demand high. A Spanish researcher might have developed a weapon in the fight against faux EVOO. 

According to a study, Analysis and reactivity of fatty acids and unsaturated mono-, di-, and triglycerides using MRI in cheeses and oils from the Castilla-La Mancha region, University of Castilla La Manchas (UCLM) School of Chemical Sciences Professor Andrés Moreno found that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is able to identify fatty acids and other chemical components in foods such as olive oil and cheese.

The researchers say the MRI lets them examine the physical and chemical characteristics of meat, fish, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, juices, cheese, wine and emulsions. Specific properties can be investigated, including alcoholic percentage, ripening fruit, sugar content, ratio of oil and water, ratio of saturated fatty acids / unsaturated and on food adulteration.

The composition of olive oil varies by cultivar, region, altitude, time of harvest, and the type of extraction process used. The fatty acids of different olive oils can vary greatly; however this is an important determinant of quality: For example, the International Olive Oil Council (IOC) specifies that the acceptable amount of linolenic acid in extra virgin olive oil must be less than 0.8%. Current methods to determine the complex mixtures of fatty acids in olive oil varieties include gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector, but the method is difficult and time-consuming. 

The scientists note that using MRI to analyze olive oil and cheese would be a valuable tool that enables the detection, identification and quantification of different types of metabolites present in complex samples such as food in a fast, simple and effective way.