Tocols and fatty acids as markers of the origin of vegetable oils and fats in bakery products

This study reports an approach combining the use of tocols and fatty acids as variables to separate different bakery products with respect to the oil/fat used as ingredients. The tocol and fatty acid profiles were investigated in 12 biscuits prepared with different fats/oils. Based on different profiles, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to classify samples according to their fat/oil ingredients. The PCA found three components that are able to explain approximately 71% of total variance, and it proved useful in characterizing products. The tested approach was validated on 33 commercial bakery products prepared with different fats/oils to verify the information mentioned on food labels.