Improvement of the Fourier Transform Near Infrared Method to Evaluate Extra Virgin Olive Oils by Analyzing 1,2‐Diacylglycerols and 1,3‐Diacylglycerols and Adding Unesterified Fatty Acids

Abstract Extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) command higher prices because they contain health‐promoting nutrients and desirable sensory characteristics. Many targeted methods have limited success in determining olive oil authenticity. Therefore, attention has been paid to rapid spectroscopic methods that provide the composition of multiple components. A Fourier transform near infrared (FT‐NIR) method was reported that identified five major fatty acids and volatiles in EVOO, plus four models that identify common adulterants and their content. However, it did not include diacylglycerol (DAG) and unesterified fatty acids (FFA) known to be associated with freshness of the oil. The newly improved FT‐NIR method now includes 1,2‐DAG and 1,3‐DAG models based on the DAG isomer content in freshly prepared EVOO, and a FFA model based on quantitative addition of oleic acid. The new FT‐NIR method was used to reassess previously used EVOO products to evaluate their freshness. Based on these results and review of the published data, we propose several revisions to the EVOO regulation: limit FFA to ≤0.5%, include 1,2‐DAG and 1,3‐DAG in standard, place no limit on 1,2‐DAG because it characterizes the oils, set the 1,3‐DAG content to ≤1.0%, and lower the content of 18:2n‐6 to 1.5%.