Authentication of Fruit Juices by Metabolomics Using UPLC-QTOF MS

Fruit juices represent an important and rapidly growing sector of the beverage industry. The most widely produced are citrus juices. However, "superfruit" juices, produced from fruits that have exceptional nutritional quality, such as pomegranate and various types of berries (e.g., strawberries, cherries, black currants, and cranberries), have become popular due to their high levels of antioxidants, micronutrients, and polyphenols, especially anthocyanins. These juices have been reported to show beneficial health effects, such as antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, and antiproliferative activity. Their high value makes these products a target for fraud. A metabolomics approach has been applied to verify the authenticity of fruit juices. A number of studies was undertaken to discover potential biomarkers for the detection of adulteration. A number of methods have been developed for authenticity testing of juices, allowing estimation of the percentage of adulteration as well as prediction of geographical origin, using various statistical models.