Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: F002
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.F002
Published online: 22 April 2026
Differentiation of organic and traditional fermented cucumbers in relation to conventional products using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and PCA
Maciej Bartoń
Department of Dairy Technology and Functional Foods, Faculty of Food Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 8 Skromna St., 20-704 Lublin, Poland
Corresponding author: maciej.barton@up.lublin.pl
The present study aimed to assess the applicability of attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometric analysis for differentiating fermented cucumber samples representing organic, traditional, and conventional production systems. Eight samples were analyzed, including three organic, four conventional, and one traditional product. ATR-FTIR spectra were recorded in the range of 4000–500 cm–1, converted to absorbance, and subjected to spectral preprocessing. Chemometric evaluation was performed using principal component analysis (PCA) applied to the fingerprint region (1800–800 cm–1) following standard normal variate (SNV) transformation.
The obtained spectra exhibited a generally similar overall profile, reflecting a common chemical background characteristic of fermented plant-based products. However, distinct differences were observed in selected spectral regions, with the highest variability occurring within the fingerprint region, suggesting subtle compositional and structural variations among the analyzed samples. PCA enabled preliminary differentiation of the samples and indicated a closer similarity between organic and traditional products compared to some of the conventional ones. One conventional sample showed an outlier pattern, suggesting higher internal heterogeneity within this group.
The findings demonstrate that ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with chemometric techniques can serve as a rapid and non-destructive screening tool for the preliminary differentiation of fermented cucumbers according to their production method. Further research involving a larger and more diverse set of samples is recommended to validate the differentiation potential of this analytical approach.
Keywords: ATR-FTIR; chemometrics; fermented cucumbers; organic
How to cite
Bartoń M., 2026. Differentiation of organic and traditional fermented cucumbers in relation to conventional products using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and PCA. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.F002