Food profiling: progress in ensuring the authenticity of truffle species and their geographical origin

Abstract

Truffles are one of the most valuable foods in the world, as they are very rare as well as difficult to cultivate and harvest. At the same time, truffles are highly popular as a delicacy, meaning that high demand meets limited availability, which is reflected in very high prices. The adulteration of truffles is therefore financially very rewarding. For this reason, efficient and reliable strategies are needed to ensure the authenticity of truffles and truffle products. Numerous analytical approaches have been developed to detect truffle adulteration, with high-resolution omics technologies but also comparatively simple methods from the field of vibrational spectroscopy being of particular importance. This article provides an overview of the latest developments in food authentication using truffles as an example.