Abstract
The inorganic component of hazelnuts was considered as a possible marker for geographical allocation and for the assessment of technological impact on their quality. The analyzed samples were Italian hazelnuts of the cultivar Tonda Gentile Romana and Turkish hazelnuts of the cultivars Tombul, Palaz and Çakildak. The hazelnuts were subjected to different drying procedures and different conservative methods. The concentration of 13 elements, namely Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Sn, Sr and Zn, were quantified by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). All the samples were previously digested in a microwave oven. Before proceeding with the analysis of the samples, the whole procedure was optimized and tested on a certified reference material. The results show that the inorganic component: (i) can represent a fingerprint, able to identify the geographical origin of hazelnuts, becoming an important quality marker for consumer protection; (ii) is strongly influenced by the treatments undergone by the investigated product during all the processing stages. A pilot study was also carried out on hazelnuts of the cultivar Tonda Gentile Trilobata Piemontese, directly harvested from the plant during early development to maturity and analyzed to monitor the element concentration over time.
Highlights
The hazelnut is a fruit widely used in the confectionery industry
In order to optimize the procedures used in this study, 0.5 g of Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1573a were digested with and without wetting the sample with 1 mL or 3 mL of High purity water (HPW) before the addition of the HNO3 /H2 O2 mixture
Each sample was wet with 3 mL of HPW before the digestion and the addition of Lu was not performed
Summary
The hazelnut is a fruit widely used in the confectionery industry. It is grown worldwide, but primarily in Turkey and Italy; Turkey produces 67% of the total, while Italy ranks second with13% [1]. The hazelnut is a fruit widely used in the confectionery industry. It is grown worldwide, but primarily in Turkey and Italy; Turkey produces 67% of the total, while Italy ranks second with. The remaining 20% of the production takes place in countries such as the USA, Spain, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Iran. The United States produces about 90% of their total national amount in the Willamette Valley (Oregon), where they exclusively grow the Barcelona and Ennis varieties. In Spain, hazelnuts are grown in Catalonia, and the most widespread cultivar is Negret, which is mainly used by local industries. Hazelnut cultivation occupies an important position in Italian agriculture, as Italy produces different quality cultivars such as the Tonda Gentile Trilobata from Piedmont that gained the Protected
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