Infrared, Raman, and Fluorescence Spectroscopies: Methodologies and Applications

Spectroscopic techniques have emerged in food analysis as rapid and very useful tools for determining a great variety of chemical parameters. They provide elegant, fast, and easy-to-use solutions to tackle analytical challenges as well as a cost reduction. They offer the possibility to control a high number of parameters and properties simultaneously at the different steps of the food and feed chains and can be applied online. Huge instrumental and computer improvements have contributed to the development of near-infrared (NIR), mid-infrared (MIR), Raman, and fluorescence spectroscopies. In the field of fats and oils, spectroscopic techniques can be applied to determine unsaturation degree, oxidation state, moisture, trans double bonds, free fatty acids, and the presence of impurities or other edible oils, among many others. Such applications require more research to improve calibration performance without losing the advantageous feature of being rapid methods. It delivers methodologies that can be eligible as standard methods to alleviate complex olive oil analysis. In this chapter, the theory and instrumentation currently used in infrared, Raman, and fluorescence spectroscopy for the analysis of oils is presented, as well as a complete description of data acquisition, interpretation of oil spectra, assignment of the most noteworthy bands, correlation between absorption intensities, and chemical indices and chemometric data treatment for quantitative and qualitative analyses. A review of the potential offered by the spectroscopic techniques is also included.Peer reviewe