A rapid ATR-FTIR spectroscopic method for classification of gelatin gummy candies in relation to the gelatin source

[Display omitted] •Demand exists for detection of pork gelatin in gummy candies.•FTIR based method was developed for discrimination of lab-produced gummy candies.•The results from chemometric analysis were successfully confirmed by using RT-PCR.•Method has a great potential for prediction the gelatin source of gummy candies. Gelatin is widely used in gummy candies because of its unique functional properties. Generally, porcine and bovine gelatins are used in the food industry. FTIR-ATR combined with chemometrics analysis such as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) (OPUS Version 7.2 software), principal component analysis (PCA) (OPUS Version 7.2 software) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) (Matlab R2017b) were used for classification and discrimination of gelatin gummy candies related to their gelatin source. The spectral region between 1734 and 1528 cm−1 was selected for chemometric analysis. The potential of FTIR spectroscopy for determination of bovine and porcine source in gummy candies was examined and validated by a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Twenty commercial samples were tested by developed ATR-FTIR methodology and RT-PCR technique, mutually confirming and supporting results were obtained. Gummy candies were classified and discriminated in relation to the bovine or porcine source of gelatin with 100% success without any sample preparation using FTIR-ATR technique.