The animal species of raw meat and processed meat products was determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy with subsequent multivariate data analysis. Sample preparation was based on comprehensive lipid extraction to capture nonpolar and polar (amphiphilic) fat components of meat. A nontargeted approach was used to analyze the 1H NMR data, followed by a principal component analysis, linear discrimination analysis, and cross-validation embedded in a Monte Carlo re-sampling approach. A total of 437 raw meat samples (pork, beef, poultry, and lamb) and 81 processed meat samples (pork, beef, and poultry) were collected to build and/or test the classification model. On average, 98% of the analyzed raw meat samples and 97% of the processed meat products were correctly classified with respect to meat species. Furthermore, relevant spectral regions to identify potential chemical markers such as linoleic acids, trans-fatty acids, and cholesterol for the meat species classification were described.
Keywords: 1H NMR spectroscopy; animal species; authentication; food fraud meat; multivariate statistical analysis.