Olive oil authentication, traceability and adulteration detection using DNA-based approaches

Abstract

Olive oil is the fresh juice produced by pressing olive fruits. It serves as the main component of the Mediterranean diet and one of the most valuable products of the agro-food industry, not only for its taste, but also for its high nutritional value. As it is considered the lipid constituent of the olive fruits, it is composed mainly of triglycerides and phenolics. Authentication and traceability of extra virgin olive oil is a challenging research task due to the complexity of fraudulent practices. Various chemical and biochemical techniques have been developed for determining the authenticity of olive oil. Olive oil DNA-based analyses have gained attention in recent years, due to high specificity, sensitivity and reliability. DNA analyses have very high discriminating power because ultimately the unique identity of a variety or species is to a great extent genetically dependent. Polymorphisms are genetic variations which refer to the variation in populations or species. Molecular markers provide information on genetic variations and are valuable tools to determine olive oil authenticity. Molecular markers such as SNPs, microsatellites, SCARs and AFLPs have been used for the identification of the varietal origin of olive oils. This feature provides an overview of the current trends and critical issues on DNA-targeted approaches used for traceability and authenticity of olive oil.