Authenticity assessment of spirit vinegar (Part II): Analysis of samples from distribution chain.

Abstract

There were evaluated potentialities of sensory analysis, analysis of the profile and content of volatile compounds and isotopic analysis of the ratios of 13C/12C a 2H/1H to prove the spirit vinegars adulteration realized by adding synthetic acetic acid. A set of 14 samples of spirit vinegars produced by Central European producers and synthetic acetic acids was analysed. Sensory evaluation and content determination of characteristic volatile markers of fermentation (ethanol and ethylacetate) allowed us to distinguish spirit vinegar and synthetic acetic acid solutions; but in the case of mixtures neither of the methods provided statistically significant results. Isotope analysis has been confirmed as a suitable tool for assessing the authenticity of vinegar, but it is relatively expensive and instrumentally demanding technique which enables reliable detection of synthetic acetic acid addition into the spirit vinegars above 15 %.There were evaluated potentialities of sensory analysis, analysis of the profile and content of volatile compounds and isotopic analysis of the ratios of 13C/12C a 2H/1H to prove the spirit vinegars adulteration realized by adding synthetic acetic acid. A set of 14 samples of spirit vinegars produced by Central European producers and synthetic acetic acids was analysed. Sensory evaluation and content determination of characteristic volatile markers of fermentation (ethanol and ethylacetate) allowed us to distinguish spirit vinegar and synthetic acetic acid solutions; but in the case of mixtures neither of the methods provided statistically significant results. Isotope analysis has been confirmed as a suitable tool for assessing the authenticity of vinegar, but it is relatively expensive and instrumentally demanding technique which enables reliable detection of synthetic acetic acid addition into the spirit vinegars above 15 %.

Keywords

• spirit vinegar; synthetic acetic acid; authenticity; GC-FID; SNIF-NMR (site-specific natural isotopic fractionation-nuclear magnetic resonance); IRMS (isotope ratio mass spectrometry)