A. Delsignore et al., CHARACTERIZATION OF BALSAMIC VINEGAR BY MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL-ANALYSIS OF TRACE-ELEMENT CONTENT, Journal of AOAC International, 81(5), 1998, pp. 1087-1095
To characterize vinegars according to the types prescribed by Italian
regulations, 8 trace elements (Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) wer
e determined. The data collected were successively elaborated by 3 sta
tistical techniques: linear principal component analysis (LPCA), linea
r discriminant analysis (LDA), and cluster analysis (CA), LDA and LPCA
best classified and discriminated the 3 types of vinegar under study,
separating traditional balsamic vinegars from the other 2 types, nont
raditionally aged balsamic vinegars and common vinegars. The latter 2
types were appreciably distinguished only by LDA through bidimensional
analysis of discriminant scores.