Discrimination and identification of geographical origin virgin olive oil by an e-nose based on MOS sensors and pattern recognition techniquesa

In the present work, the potential of an electronic nose to differentiate the geographical origin of the Moroccan virgin olive oils based on their volatile profile was investigated. An electronic gas sensor array system composed of 6 metal oxide semiconductor sensors was used to generate a chemical fingerprint (pattern) of the volatile compounds present in olive oils. Multivariate statistical approach showed good discrimination between the classes of the 27-sample of the dataset population. The results of this study provide promising perspectives for the use of a low-cost and rapid system for the verification of geographical origin of the olive oils based on their volatile profile. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.