High resolution spectroscopy of sweeteners

The identification of sophistication in beverage and food products has an increasing role in modern society. Different techniques are currently used for qualitative assessment of food stuff and beverages. Among them high resolution spectroscopy shown to be able to identify different types of sweeteners such as fructose, glucose, maltose, sucrose and aspartame. To this purpose, a reliable, fast and easy-to-use screening method for the optical characterization of these substances was developed. In the present work the Infrared Laser Photo-Acoustic Spectroscopy was used to record high resolution infrared absorption spectra of common sugars in the fingerprint region, not previously reported in literature at our knowledge. Spectral data were obtained by a CO2 laser based optical apparatus. These preliminary results are the key toward a further analysis of sweeteners in a complex matrix devoted to detecting adulteration of commercial fruit juices and light drinks by low cost sweeteners.