Authentication of Tunisian virgin olive oils by chemometric analysis of fatty acid compositions and NIR spectra. Comparison with Maghrebian and French virgin olive oils

•Importance of minor fatty acids and squalene for the characterisation of VOOs.•Visual characterisation of six Tunisian VOOs by “morphotypes” based on fatty acids.•Distinction of Tunisian VOOs from Maghrebian and French VOOs by fatty acids and IR.•Varietal origin identification of commercial Tunisian VOOs.•Varietal origin authentication by chemometrics using fatty acids and NIR spectra. Six Tunisian virgin olive oil (VOO) varieties, Chemlali Sfax, Chetoui, Chemchali, Oueslati, Zarrazi and Zalmati, were characterised by two analytical methods. The gas chromatography allowed the determination of 14 fatty acids and squalene amounts. With fatty acids of each variety, a characteristic “morphotypes” for each oil variety was established. Chemlali Sfax and Zalmati showed strong similarities. Gas chromatography of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) and near infrared (NIR) spectra of oils, associated to chemometric treatment, allowed the study of the inter-varietal variability and the verification of the variety origins of some Tunisian commercial VOOs. The specificity of Tunisian VOOs was evaluated by comparing the samples to Algerian, Moroccan and French Protected Designation of Origin VOOs. Classification in varietal origins by SIMCA used the FAME compositions and NIR spectra of the most represented varieties (Chemlali Sfax, Chetoui and Oueslati) showed a high potential to authenticate the varietal origin of Tunisian VOOs.