TAGS: Natural/ Organic
The researchers from Quadram Institute have developed a new way to test the authenticity of argan oil. In recent years, argan oil is also known as Moroccan liquid gold, has become sought after as an ingredient in cosmetics and health products, significantly increasing its value.
Screening for Quality of Argan Oil
Using a benchtop NMR machine developed by Oxford Instruments, the method can screen for quality and authenticity, detecting when argan oil has been mixed with cheaper alternatives. A screen of 28 commercially available products labeled as 100 percent argan oil found four that were not pure argan, strongly indicating adulteration with other oils. With demand for argan oil soaring, this new method can help protect consumers from fraud, and support honest producers and suppliers.
Argan oil is made from the kernels of the argan tree which grows exclusively in Morocco and is recognized as a Protected Geographical Indication product. It is traditionally produced by hand and used both as a medicine, particularly for skin conditions and as part of the diet, where it also is reputed to provide health benefits.
Scientific validation of its health claims is patchy, but like olive oil it can be a key component of a healthy Mediterranean style diet. It is rich in fatty acids, polyphenols and other components that have been linked to reductions in chronic health conditions.
Increasing Demand of Argan Oil by Cosmetics Industry
More recently, there has been an explosion in demand driven by the cosmetics industry, keen to include it as an ingredient in hand creams, haircare products and cosmetics. Mechanical presses have replaced hand extraction, but the trees themselves are slow growing, so demand remains high, as does the price. The market is estimated to reach over USD 500 million by 2027.
All of this makes argan oil an attractive target for fraudsters who can substitute in cheap vegetable oils for argan oil, which costs around USD 30 per liter. Because it is used as an ingredient in cosmetics, the consumer, and even the manufacturer, may not notice the difference. This is where Dr Kate Kemsley and her team from the Quadram Institute have stepped in. Working with Oxford Instruments, they have developed a new way of authenticating argan oil, that is quick, high throughput and robust.
Measuring Using Benchtop NMR Spectrometer
The method uses a benchtop NMR spectrometer to measure the profile of different mono-unsaturated (MUFA), poly-unsaturated (PUFA) and saturated fatty acids (SFAs). Through a collaboration with the Centre National de l’Energie des Sciences et des Techniques Nucléaires (CNESTEN) in Rabat, Morocco, the researchers obtained samples of argan oil with known provenance. Samples came from different regions and were taken at different times, to allow the researchers to get a view of the natural variation in the fatty acid profiles.
Samples of argan oil deliberately mixed with sunflower oil at different ratios were also tested, and these could be distinguished from 100 percent argan oil. The researchers also tested a range of different vegetable oils. Most could be distinguished, but some, for example bran oil, looked very similar based on their MUFA, PUFA and SFA profiles.
Whilst these compounds make up the major part by weight of these oils, there are a range of other minor compounds present including phenolics, tocopherols, and free fatty acids. Using bespoke computational techniques to incorporate this information from the whole spectrum allowed them to identify 15 different types of oil as different to argan oil.
This new method should give retailers and manufacturers a new tool to help ensure that the products they supply to consumers are what they say they are.
Source: Quadram Institute