Use of FTIR spectroscopy integrated with multivariate chemometrics as a swift, and non-destructive technique to detect various adulterants in virgin coconut oil: A comprehensive review

•High consumption demand of VCO leads to immense adulteration incidents.•The typical analytical ways are arduous, prolonged, and lack online tracking.•FTIR & chemometrics is an excellent tool for VCO adulteration detection.•This approach facilitates the quantitative assessment of VCO blending in real-time.•This review presents all the aspects of prominent studies of FTIR & chemometrics. Virgin coconut oil (VCO) has of late come out as one of the most treasured edible oils as it has many functions as a crucial component used in food preparation, pharmacy, and cosmetic merchandise. These quality parameters have placed VCO in high consumption need, and the chances of its adulteration have significantly surged. Therefore, adulteration determination is the most demanding element for the oil-consuming population, oil-producing firms, and authorities. The typical analytical ways are generally arduous, prolonged, pernicious, require lengthy sample processing, and lack online tracking and monitoring. Contemporary oil-producing facilities require a rapid, non-destructive analytical method for the effective finding of VCO mixing with its blends. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with multivariate chemometrics, is an exquisite method for the expeditious revelation of numerous blends in VCO. The crucial spectral region of FTIR analyzed with numerous differentiation and quantification chemometrics means led to the revelation of the lowest concentration of numerous blends of VCO with accurate and precise results. Hence, FTIR spectroscopy, united with numerous multivariate chemometric methods, can be implemented as an exemplary methodology for different types of blend detection and quantification in VCO.