¹H NMR–metabolomics for PDO and PGI EVOOs Assessment

Chiara Roberta Girelli, Francesca Calò, Federica Angilè, Laura Del Coco, Paride Papadia, Andrea Biagianti, Daniele Barbini, Lucia Mazzi

Università del Salento, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali Università del Salento; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali Università del Salento; Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (Di.S.Te.B.A.), University of Salento, ; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali Università del Salento 73100 Lecce; Certified Origins Italia Srl Loc. Madonnino 58100 Grosseto; Certified Origins Italia Srl Loc. Madonnino 58100 Grosseto; Certified Origins Italia Srl

Being a premium price product, EVOO’s authenticity and traceability are important for both consumer health and commercial purposes. In order to protect high-quality foodstuffs from a specific origin, Protected Designations of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) were established at European level since 1992 and thereafter regulated [1]. These products meet strict production rules describing, for EVOOs, specific characteristics such as geographical production area, used cultivars, methods of cultivation and processing. Nevertheless, the EVOOs PDO and PGI assessment still remains essentially based on farmers declarations. Mediterranean countries are responsible for over 95% of globally produced olive oil, including 105 European quality scheme registered from Italy (holding a quality record with over 40 among PDO and PGI EVOOs), Greece, Spain, France, Portugal, Croatia and Slovenia [2]. The aim of this work is to verify, following our studies on Italian PDO [3] and PGI [4] EVOOs, the possibility of assessing these classifications by using ¹H NMR metabolic profiles databases and MVA (multivariate analysis), beside farmers declarations.

[1] Council Regulation (EC) 2081/92 and 510/2006. Regulation (EU) 1151/2012 and 665/2014.
[2] Gonçalves Albuquerque, T.; Costa, H. S. and Oliveira, M. B. P. P. Eur. J. Lipid Sci. Technol. 2019, 121, 1800129.
[3] Del Coco, L.; Mondelli, D.; Mezzapesa, G.N.; Miano, T.; De Pascali, S.A.; Girelli, C.R.; Fanizzi, F.P. J Am Oil Chem Soc, 2016, 93, 373-381.
[4] Girelli, C.R.; Del Coco L.; Zelasco, S.; Salimonti, A.; Conforti, F.L.; Biagianti, A.; Barbini, D.; Fanizzi, F.P. Metabolites 2018, 8 (4), 60.