FC Relaxometry, a powerful tool for quality-assessment of balsamic vinegars

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (TBVM) and Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (BVM) are very appreciated and evaluated Italian product all over the world. Balsamic Vinegar is essentially made of wine vinegar and addition of caramel: then it can be left to age in casks for less or more than three years and then labeled with red or white stamp respectively. TVBM is a completely different product: it is made of coked must and last to age in series of decreasing volume casks made of different wood for at least 12 years and over, without upper limits. TVBM is a PDO product, whose production is regulated by set rules (D.M., February 9, 1987) and its cost on the market is rather high in according to its ageing process. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Profile Dispersion (NMRD) are highly informative on the age of balsamic vinegars. NMRD profile can detect fraud in balsamic vinegars.

In collaboaration with Consonni Roberto, Istituto per lo Studio delle MACromolecole (ISMAC), NMR Laboratory, CNR, Milano.