Detecting wheat flour adulteration by portable infrared and Raman spectroscopies

Abstract

Monitoring wheat flour fraud is vital, especially during global disruptions like the war in Ukraine, which heighten the risk of economically motivated adulteration. This study explores the use of portable Raman and infrared (IR) spectroscopy to detect wheat flour adulteration with potato and corn flour. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed spectral differences, while Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) models quantified adulterant levels. Both techniques successfully identified adulteration, with typical errors of prediction for test samples of 4–5 % for infrared and 8.7–10.6 % for Raman spectroscopy. In addition, IR achieved a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 6.9 % and Raman 22.6 %. The findings highlight portable vibrational spectroscopy as a rapid, non-destructive tool for detecting flour fraud, supporting food quality control and regulatory enforcement