Olive Oil Quality Analysis and The Detection of Fakes by GC-MS with Cold EI

Benny Neumark, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel (benjaminn@mail.tau.ac.il)
Oneg Elkabets, Tel-aviv University, Tel Aviv-yafo, Israel
Aviv Amirav, Tel-aviv University, Tel Aviv-yafo, Israel

Olive oil, consumed globally at approximately 3 billion liters annually, is valued for its unsaturated fats, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties, offering potential cardiovascular and anticancer benefits. The International Olive Council sets quality standards, but high demand has fueled counterfeit production, lacking purity or freshness. Standard analytical methods often fail to detect fakes due to their poor selectivity and sensitivity in analyzing triglycerides, making advanced, reliable techniques essential for ensuring authenticity.

GC-MS with Cold Electron Ionization (Cold EI) integrates gas chromatography and mass spectrometry with a supersonic molecular beams interface, followed by the electron ionization of vibrationally cold compounds in a fly-through ion source. GC-MS with Cold EI features enhanced molecular ions, uniform response, and the ability to analyze an extended range of molecules in GC-MS.

Conventional methods require extensive preparation and hydrolyze triglycerides to analyze them as fatty acid methyl esters, resulting in the loss of all triglyceride data.

GC-MS with Cold EI analysis of olive oil shows detailed data on free fatty acids, Vitamin E, and triglycerides, all with molecular ions. The resulting triglyceride mass spectra clearly reveal degrees of unsaturation, enabling precise detection of fakes and freshness. Our approach requires minimal sample preparation, which involves merely diluting the sample in a solvent such as Hexane. This is followed by a 20-minute GC-MS with Cold EI analysis.

The enhanced molecular ions improve selectivity, while the spectra’s ion ratios allow straightforward identification of adulteration. Free fatty acid analysis also flags degraded or aged oils, ensuring comprehensive quality assessment.

This technique outperforms standard methods in speed, efficiency, selectivity, and sensitivity, making GC-MS with Cold EI the ultimate tool for olive oil analysis. It enables rapid, precise detection of counterfeits and freshness evaluation, ensuring product authenticity and protecting consumer trust.

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Short Biography of Presenting Author

Benny is an expert in analytical chemistry, instrument development, and method optimization. Benny specializes in Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) with a focus on novel advancements using Cold Electron Ionization (Cold EI) technology.

His work focuses on developing new instruments and applications that enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and scalability of analytical methodologies. These efforts span a wide range of fields, including medical diagnostics, environmental analysis, forensics, food safety and quality, and more. Benny's work includes method development and validation to ensure reliable, high-quality results across both industrial and research applications.

Benny's work has made significant contributions to optimizing mass spectrometry performance, including expanding the range of analyzable compounds, enhancing molecular ion detection, and establishing robust, reproducible workflows by applying advanced GC-MS technologies, superior data quality and improved interpretative capabilities.

Through his work, advancements have been realized in whole blood analysis, environmental monitoring, food authenticity verification, and the characterization of complex samples.