Adulteration process synthetic compounds

Compounds formerly named nature identical are to be de ned by law since some years as synthetic products. These molecules have been found in nature by analytical proof and are published in an authorized scienti c journal. The term nature identical is no more valid and allowed in Europe in relation to avor and fragrance substances. Such molecules are identical with those appearing in nature but are produced by a synthetic process. These processes contain undesired by-products. The use of such synthetic compounds is easy to detect, as by-products from manufacturing can easily be detected by GC-MS systems. On the other hand, chiral separation will help to con rm adulteration. 

The introduction of synthetic materials into natural products, often described as adulteration , is a common occurrence in food processing. The types of compounds introduced, however, are often chiral in nature, e.g. the addition of terpenes into fruit juices. The degree to which a synthetic terpene has been added to a natural product may be subsequently determined if chiral quantitation of the target species is enabled, since synthetic terpenes are manufactured as racemates. Two-dimensional GC has a long history as the methodology of choice for this particular aspect of organic analysis (38). 

A few essential oils contain substances which can be easily synthesised, by processes in which the use of chlorine is involved. Su oils are-frequently adulterated with the synthetic product. If this contains chlorine—which is very frequently the case, on account of the difiSculty in removing the last traces of this hody—its detection becomes of importance, as the presence of a trace of chlorine is evidence of the presence-of the artificial compound. 

---