Quality Evaluation of Argan Oil as a Food Product Using Ultrasonic Characterization

Abstract

Abstract Start This study focuses on evaluating the quality of food-grade argan oil, an essential component of Moroccan cuisine, using experimental ultrasonic characterization. Variations in ultrasonic velocity and attenuation with temperature were exploited as significant parameters for quality control of argan oil. The results reveal an inverse correlation between ultrasonic velocity and temperature, providing a unique model for the studied samples of argan oil. The measurements also show that the acoustic attenuation of argan oil decreases with temperature, while it increases with the volumetric fractions of sunflower oil added to argan oil. The data collected during this experimental study demonstrate that the velocity of the mixture of argan oil and sunflower oil increases with rising temperature. It was observed that both ultrasonic parameters of this mixture are challenging to detect by ultrasound. Ensuring the reproducibility of measurements under the same conditions, reference graphs are established to detect adulteration, especially when considering blends of argan oil with sunflower oil.