Rapid and Non-Invasive Determination of Iodine Value by Magnetic Resonance Relaxometry in Commercial Edible Oils

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This study investigates the development of a fast and non-invasive method to determine the iodine value (IV) of commercial edible oils using Time Domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (TD-NMR) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The iodine value is an important indicator of the degree of unsaturation in oils, which affects their quality and stability. This method has significant potential for quality control in the food industry, especially for oils that are prone to oxidative degradation during cooking or processing. It can also help detect adulteration and monitor oxidative stability.

 

But I have some questions to evoke:

 

1- Cost of equipment: This is a crucial point. The acquisition of NMR equipment, especially an MRI, represents a significant investment. However, this cost must be weighed against the long-term benefits: time savings, accuracy of results, the possibility of continuous analysis, and potential savings achieved through better quality management. In addition, this equipment can be used for other applications in the field of food analysis.

2- Study the influence of different factors (temperature, packaging, composition) on relaxation times: These factors can indeed influence relaxation times. The study could have explored this issue further by conducting experiments with various oils and conditions. It would be interesting to see how these parameters can be controlled or considered in interpreting the results.

3- Correlate NMR results with other analytical methods to obtain a more complete view of the composition of oils: The IV is a good indicator of unsaturation, but it does not reflect the full complexity of an oil. Other parameters, such as the distribution of fatty acids, the presence of antioxidants, etc., are also important. The study could have explored these aspects by correlating the IV with other analyses (chromatography, mass spectrometry) to obtain a more complete view of the composition of oils.

4- Nature of the samples: The age and storage conditions of the oils are important factors that can influence the results. It is essential to know this information to interpret the data reliably.

5- Evaluate the ability of the method to detect other quality parameters than the IV.

6- Validate the method on a wide range of samples to confirm its robustness: Further validation is necessary to confirm the robustness of the method. A wider variety of oils, with different compositions and from diverse producers, should be tested.

7- Industrial application: The author could have further highlighted and emphasized the potential applications of this method in the food industry. The advantages in terms of quality control, fraud detection, and food safety assurance are strong arguments for the adoption of this technology and are considered as a strong point of this study.

8- The questions that remain unanswered can be highlighted as limitations of this study to ensure that the importance of this article is not devalued and to avoid any possible contradictions for the reader.

Overall, the study presents a novel approach that combines rapid screening with reliable analysis, enhancing food safety and quality control in edible oils. The techniques of Time Domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (TD-NMR) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) have been explored for various applications in food analysis; however, their specific application for the rapid and non-invasive determination of iodine value (IV) in commercial edible oils is relatively novel.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Authors,

Please check the Comments and Recommendations in the attached file and make any necessary corrections.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article "Rapid and Non-Invasive Determination of Iodine Value by Magnetic Resonance Relaxometry in Commercial Edible Oils" is very interesting and well written.

The introduction was well written, but it can be improved by providing more details on what are other methods to determine the double bonds present in the fatty acid composition and why the Iodine Value (IV) determination was chosen for this study. 

Methods were well described, but please cite the appropriate references.

Results were well presented. Figure B, the R² value (0.92) is too low and it needs to be improved or could you please clarify why it is too low. 

Also the discussion part can be improved by comparing similar studies on edible oils.

Table 1: please mention the units. 

Figure 1 and 2: looks great, but please increase the text or font size. 

Line 277: I disagree with this line, considering the method they used, it takes more time than they claim in this line. 

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf