# Spectral Similarity Score (SSS)-Barcoding for the Quality Control of LACTEM Emulsifiers by High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method using HPTLC and spectral similarity scores to assess the quality and consistency of LACTEM emulsifiers in food products.

## Contribution

A novel SSS-barcoding approach is proposed for quality control of LACTEM emulsifiers using HPTLC–FLD.

## Key findings

- SSS-barcoding revealed similarities as low as 67% between LACTEM emulsifiers with identical labels.
- The method detected batch-to-batch variability in emulsifier quality.
- PLSR was successfully used to predict techno-functional properties from densitometric data.

## Abstract

LACTEM emulsifiers are widely applied in the food industry
to adjust
and improve techno-functional properties of food products. The study
introduces a high-performance thin-layer chromatography–fluorescence
detection (HPTLC–FLD) fingerprint method for the similarity
assessment of these emulsifiers using a straightforward barcoding
approach based on the concept of spectral similarity scores (SSS),
referred to as SSS-barcoding. Analysis of 21 LACTEM emulsifiers showed
similarities between two emulsifiers as low as 67%, despite the same
product labeling. The method also revealed batch-to-batch variability.
Limitations were identified when applying the method to fatty matrices.
Finally, partial least-squares regression (PLSR) was applied as a
proof-of-concept to predict the techno-functional properties of aerosol
whipping cream, such as drainage, apparent viscosity, foam firmness,
particle size (D90,3), and overrun, from the densitometric
data.