Low resolution food fingerprinting: vibrational spectroscopic methods for nondestructive food authentication

Methods and techniques used in food fingerprinting are required to be of low cost, rapid and easy to use to target issues associated with food authenticity (e.g. food fraud, provenance). The utilisation of sensing technologies based on vibrational spectroscopy, including mid-infrared, near-infrared and Raman spectroscopy, and, more recently, hyperspectral imaging are proposed and extensively used in food authenticity in a wide range of foods. The different studies and commercial applications reported concluded that the utilisation of vibrational spectroscopy allows for the development of efficient and robust systems to monitor food authenticity. These techniques have also shown their potential to be included in the implementation of management decision tools that would allow for the evaluation and monitoring of the authenticity of food supply and value chains.