A SNP-based PCR–RFLP capillary electrophoresis analysis for the identification of the varietal origin of olive oils

► The first report of a PCR–RFLP methodology for varietal identification of olive oil. ► A SNP database is presented comprising 10 Greek olive varieties. ► Discrimination of five monovarietal olive oils using three SNPs. Authenticity and traceability of high quality monovarietal extra virgin olive oils is a major concern for markets and consumers. Although analytical chemistry techniques are widely used to satisfy these needs recently developed DNA-based methods can serve as complementary approaches. A SNP database comprising 10 Greek olive varieties was constructed and five SNPs, residing in restriction sites, were selected for the development of a PCR–RFLP capillary electrophoresis method to discriminate these varieties using leaf DNA as template. An identification key was constructed indicating that five SNPs were adequate to discriminate nine out of the 10 varieties. As a proof of principle the assay was applied on DNA extracted from five of their corresponding monovarietal olive oils. Three SNPs were able to identify the varietal origin of these olive oils confirming the validity of this approach.