Newly marketed seed oils. What we can learn from the current status of authentication of edible oils

Abstract

The actual concerns regarding the quality and authenticity of newly-marketed seed oils are based on a high risk of identity theft, tampering with purity, and adulteration. Seed oils are a rich source of dietary fat and various phytochemicals, and as such are an object of health-related and commercial interest. However, the lipid composition of these oils is poorly investigated and there is a lack of information on what methods are appropriate for detecting adulteration in this kind of oils. Therefore, in this review, the current knowledge on the problem of detecting adulteration of well-known edible oils was collected and systematized. Most methods of identification and determination of lipidomic profiles of oils are based on infrared and Raman spectroscopy as well as chromatographic separation combined with mass spectrometry. Quantitative and qualitative determination of fatty acids, tri- and di-glycerols, phospholipids, glycolipids, sterols and tocopherols can contribute to overcoming the problem of food adulteration.