Recent Advances in Traceability, Authentication, and Bioactive Profiling of Fruit and Fruit-Based Products Using Analytical Techniques Combined With Chemometrics

Fruit and fruit-based products are a valuable source of essential nutrients, critical for food security, and drive economic productivity with minimal inputs. The significant rise in global demand for high-quality imported fruit and fruit-based products reflects a shift in consumer awareness and interest in the products origin and potential health-promoting bioactive compounds. Analytical techniques such as liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, inductively coupled plasma techniques, isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, visible near infrared (VIS-NIR) spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging (HSI), mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, terahertz spectroscopy, dielectric spectroscopy, electronic nose (e-nose), and electronic tongue (e-tongue) coupled with supervised and unsupervised chemometrics can be employed for traceability, authentication, and bioactive profiling of fruit and fruit-based products. Regulatory bodies are seeking a comprehensive and updated list of analytical approaches to support law implementation for identifying cultivars, geographical origin traceability, authentication, and bioactive profiling of fruit and fruit-based products. This review article presents the most relevant and updated information regarding destructive and nondestructive analytical techniques for traceability, authentication, and bioactive profiling of fruit and fruit-based products. This document will be a reference for fruit processing industries to adopt and implement these advanced laboratory-based techniques. Technical challenges and future directions related to applying analytical techniques and chemometrics for traceability, authentication, and bioactive profiling of fruit and fruit-based products are also discussed, which should be investigated in future studies.