Authentication of the Montanera Period on Carcasses of Iberian Pigs by Using Analytical Techniques and Chemometric Analyses

Simple Summary For the Iberian pork industry, the authentication of the raw material is of great importance. For this reason, the main object of this study was the classification of Iberian pig carcasses in accordance with the time the animals have spent in the montanera period and the breed. To do this, the potential of Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry techniques was studied. Different sampling methods and mathematical treatments of the data were assayed. The results obtained show high percentages of correct classification both for days in the montanera and according to the breed for both techniques. The advantages for the industry are that none of the selected techniques require any chemical treatment of the sample before analysis and the proposed sampling is easy to use by the operator. It is also not necessary to identify individual compounds. This leads to the conclusion that both technologies are fast and useful for the authentication of raw material. The potential of two complementary analytical techniques (near infrared spectroscopy, NIRS and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry, GC-IMS) was used to establish the time that Iberian pigs have been fed on acorns and pasture and to verify their genetic purity. For both techniques it was neither necessary to carry out any chemical treatment in advance nor to identify individual compounds. The results showed that both the NIR spectrum and the spectral fingerprint obtained by GC-IMS were affected by the time that the Iberian pig feeds on natural resources. High percentages of correct classification were achieved in the calibration for both techniques: >98% for the days of montanera and >96% for the breed by NIRS and >99% for the days of montanera and >98% for the breed by GC-IMS. The results obtained showed that NIR spectra taken from intact samples is a quick classification method according to the time of montanera and breed.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that both Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry techniques are effective in classifying and authenticating Iberian pork raw materials without the need for chemical treatment. The use of these two techniques provides significant advantages for the industry.