The MassWerx team uses some of the most powerful analytical tools currently available to test edible oils.  Our testing strategy is based on approaches developed, validated, and reported in the peer-reviewed literature. We apply the highest standards of analytical testing to each method we develop, and each sample we analyze. Our EVOO testing method offers several major benefits for growers, handlers, and buyers of olive oil, as described below.

Cutting-edge analytical strategy—mass spectrometric fingerprinting—combined with machine learning 

MassWerx combines a cutting-edge analytical strategy – mass spectrometric fingerprinting – with machine learning (ML) to offer a powerful alternative to conventional testing. We interrogate over 100 separate chemical entities, or markers, and then apply sophisticated statistical tools and ML to generate a report that is easy to interpret and offers unparalleled insights into the oil at the time of sampling. The report includes information about fundamental properties of the oil such as identity, authenticity, and quality. Information on the phenols present and their levels indicate the potential health benefits and flavor profile of each oil. High quality, leading-edge test results like these give buyers confidence in the quality, value, and authenticity of the olive oil they purchase.

The most reliable indicator of authenticity – triacyglycerol fingerprinting

Key to our EVOO authenticity testing is the determination of the TAG fingerprint. This fingerprint is unique to each oil type and offers insights into identity, variety, geographic origin, and quality. It is also a reliable tool for fraud detection. The TAG fingerprint can be used to define the type(s) and the percentage of any adulterant oil(s), even when as little as 5% of the adulterant is present. The advantages of TAG testing

Triacylglycerols (TAGs) are the principal components of all edible oils and are made up of a glycerol molecule linked to three fatty acids. TAGs constitute 98–99% of olive oil and the TAG profile is characteristic of each type of oil (i.e., variety, geographic origin, quality and more). When determined, the TAG fingerprint is a powerful and reliable tool for identifying vegetable oils and/or fraud detection. Although TAGs make up over 98% of EVOO and they influence the oil’s physicochemical, physiological, and nutritional properties, TAGs are rarely determined directly. This is because differentiating and defining the TAGs in edible oils is challenging, time-consuming and typically requires expensive and complex equipment. 

Levels of major individual (poly)phenols 

With our testing, each major phenol in the edible oil is independently identified and quantified. We do this because each phenol exhibits distinct properties, including biological actions, and is present at different levels. Over time, some phenols degrade and others are formed. MassWerx uses tandem mass spectrometry, the gold standard quantitative approach, to accurately quantify each individual phenol. These determinations also aid in assessing the identity, quality and health benefits of the oil. More about phenols

The unsaponifiable fraction of olive oil—that 1–2% that is not TAGs—contains a complex array of components including sterols, tocopherols, triterpene alcohols, phenolic compounds, phospholipids, volatile compounds, and pigments. Arguably the most important of these minor components are the phenols – also sometimes referred to as polyphenols, biophenols, phenolics or phenolic components. These are thought to be responsible for many of the major health benefits attributed to EVOO, in part because they have pronounced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Phenols also protect against oxidation (i.e., of the TAGs).

EVOO in particular, is rich in a diverse array of phenols, with distinct chemical structures and biological actions. These contribute to the sensory properties of the oil—its bitter taste, astringency, and peppery qualities. Other edible oils, such as virgin avocado oil, also contain phenols, but most nut and seed oils have low to undetectable levels of phenols. Major EVOO phenols include oleocanthal, oleacein, ligstroside aglycon, oleuropein aglycon, tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol. Most, if not all of these, are bioactive. Oleocanthal, for example, reportedly protects against Alzheimer’s disease and some forms of cancer. Oleacein and hydroxytyrosol have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The content of each of these phenols in EVOO is variable and determined by many factors including olive variety, geographic origin, fruit maturity at harvest, environmental factors, the milling process, storage conditions, and oil age. 

Because the European Food Safety Authority has approved claims concerning the health benefits of olive oil and has linked these claims to phenols, specifically hydroxytyrosol and “its derivatives,” knowing which phenols are present, and their levels, is increasingly important.

Testing methods

Commonly phenol determinations are conducted using a practical and affordable colorimetric assay based on the reaction of Folin‐Ciocalteu (FC) reagent with phenolic compounds. This method was first reported almost 100 years ago and “… should be seen as a measure of total antioxidant capacity rather than phenolic content. Since phenolics are the most abundant antioxidants in most plants, it gives a rough approximation of total phenolic content in most cases” (2). Because each phenol is a distinct bioactive component with its own unique bioavailability, pharmacology and actions, accurate independent measurement of each one is required to predict health and sensory attributes. Advanced analytical strategies, including HPLC and HPLC-MS, are now available to detect and quantify individual phenols, but these approaches are costly and time-consuming.