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

Abstract

This study presents a pioneering comparison of target stable isotope ratios analysis and sesquiterpene (SH)</p><p>fingerprinting for authenticating virgin olive oil (VOO) geographical origin. Both methods were selected for</p><p>being among the most promising targeted and untargeted approaches, respectively. These methods were applied</p><p>to the same sample set of nearly 400 VOO samples, covering diverse harvest years, cultivars and producers. PLSDA</p><p>classification models were developed to differentiate between Italian and non-Italian VOOs, as well as VOOs</p><p>from three closely located Italian regions. Isotopic models based on bulk δ13C, δ18O and δ2H achieved over 75 %</p><p>classification accuracy in distinguishing Italian from non-Italian VOOs, while SH fingerprinting outperformed</p><p>with over 90 % accuracy and greater sensitivity to regional differences, as assessed in external validation. This</p><p>systematic comparison provides insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each method, and the results will</p><p>guide future research to enhance their reliability in VOO geographical authentication.