Evaluating the whiteness of spectroscopy-based non-destructive analytical methods – Application to food analytical control

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Recent advancements in analytical chemistry in the food quality field have emphasized ecofriendly analytical techniques eschewing chemicals and solvents. Various methodologies exist for assessing the sustainability of analytical methods, however none has provided guidance for appraising non-destructive methods, especially pre-development. Among these, the RGB approach stands out, evaluating method colour via three main criteria: analytical performance, environmental impact, and practical efficiency. This framework offers a comprehensive evaluation, aiming for a "white" colour denoting excellence across all three categories. This article introduces an adapted RGB method for ex-ante evaluation of new non-destructive analytical methods pre-development. It outlines key steps for evaluating method "whiteness". As a guiding example, the approach was applied to three analytical methods focussed on quality and authenticity control of edible vegetable oils utilizing solvent-free spectroscopic techniques. Results underscored a priori feasibility assessment value, aligning evaluative objectives with intended method goals.