Authentication of pomegranate juice concentrate using FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and chemometric techniques were used to detect the adulteration of pomegranate juice concentrate (PJC) with grape juice concentrate (GJC). The main differences between PJC and GJC infrared spectra occurred in the 1780–1685 cm−1 region, which corresponds to CO stretching. Principal component analysis of the spectra was used to: (1) differentiate pure PJC and GJC samples and (2) classify adulterated (containing 2–14% vol/vol GJC) and pure PJC samples. Two principal components explained 99% of the variability in each of these applications. Partial least square analysis of the spectra resulted in prediction of the GJC adulterant concentration in PJC with a correlation coefficient, R2, of 0.9751. Partial least square analysis of spectra could also predict % titratable acidity and total solids in PJC with correlation coefficients of 0.9114 and 0.9916, respectively. Therefore, FTIR and chemometrics provide a useful approach for authenticating pomegranate juice concentrate.