Ground-breaking comparison of target stable isotope ratios vs. emerging sesquiterpene fingerprinting for authenticating virgin olive oil origin

fingerprinting for authenticating virgin olive oil (VOO) geographical origin. Both methods were selected for

being among the most promising targeted and untargeted approaches, respectively. These methods were applied

to the same sample set of nearly 400 VOO samples, covering diverse harvest years, cultivars and producers. PLSDA

classification models were developed to differentiate between Italian and non-Italian VOOs, as well as VOOs

from three closely located Italian regions. Isotopic models based on bulk δ13C, δ18O and δ2H achieved over 75 %

classification accuracy in distinguishing Italian from non-Italian VOOs, while SH fingerprinting outperformed

with over 90 % accuracy and greater sensitivity to regional differences, as assessed in external validation. This

systematic comparison provides insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each method, and the results will

guide future research to enhance their reliability in VOO geographical authentication.