Pekmez, a traditional Turkish food generally produced by concentration of fruit juices, is subjected to fraudulent activities like many other foodstuffs. This study reports the use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in combination with chemometric methods for the detection of fraudulent addition of glucose syrup to traditional grape, carob and mulberry pekmez. FTIR spectra of samples were taken in mid-infrared (MIR) range of 400–4000 cm−1 using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) sample accessory. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and PLS chemometric methods were built for qualitative and quantitative analysis of pekmez samples, respectively. PLS-DA models were successfully used for the discrimination of pure pekmez samples and the adulterated pekmez samples with glucose syrup. Sensitivity and specificity of 100%, and model efficiency of 100% were obtained in PLS-DA models for all pekmez groups. Detection of the adulteration ratio of pekmez samples was also accomplished using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy in combination with PLS. As a result, it was shown that ATR-FTIR spectroscopy along with chemometric methods had a great potential for determination of pekmez adulteration with glucose syrup.

No abstract