4. CONCLUSIONS
DSC and XRD techniques (with both laboratory-scale and synchrotron radiation source) were used to authenticate among different categories of Iberian pig lipid extracts. Lower amount of polymorphic forms occurred in bellota and recebo samples compared tocebo de campo and cebo . Furthermore, the more unsaturated fatty acids composition of bellota and recebo categories resulted in lower crystallization and melting temperatures, compared tocebo de campo and cebo . By considering the differences in rearing systems of pigs belonging to the different categories, we concluded that the key factor which determined the polymorphic behavior of Iberian pig lipid extracts was not the physical exercise practiced by the pig, but the inclusion of acorns in the feeding system. Although further work is needed to analyze a higher number of samples of all categories to confirm the results presented, with this work we showed that crystallographic techniques, such as DSC and XRD, may be promoted to be used as fingerprinting tools for food products authentication.