Feasibility of discrimination of dairy creams and cream-like analogues using Raman spectroscopy and chemometric analysis

•A novel method was developed for determination of dairy cream adulteration.•Discrimination of dairy cream and its analogues accomplished using Raman spectroscopy.•The method provides qualitative information about the level of unsaturation of samples.•The classification method PCA-DA was employed to discriminate cream and its analogues.•Model sensitivity for dairy cream was 100%.

Dairy cream and its analogues with sunflower oil, coconut oil and palm oil in different milk fat/vegetable fat ratios were prepared and analysed using Raman spectroscopy. The linear discriminant analysis was conducted in order to classify the samples. Samples were well separated and displayed distinguishing linear arrangement along the principal component that expressed the variation in lipid unsaturation. Good separation of sunflower oil and milk fat samples was obtained in contrast to the samples with coconut and palm oil, where the substantial overlapping occurred. The method permitted classifying of the samples in terms of the type of fat used. Calibrated model was extremely sensitive (100%) for dairy cream. The results indicated that it is possible to consider the Raman spectroscopy coupled with chemometric analysis as a rapid way for the detection of dairy cream adulteration with sunflower, coconut and palm oils.