12 Apr 2012 ‘Nature’s barcode’ tells the story of foods’ true origin
History has taught us that wherever there is a large price difference between two similar products and no objective means of checking is available, fraud can and does take place. Fish fraud – labeling a less-desirable species as a more desirable one – is widespread. Olive oil, too, isn’t always what it seems. And honey from Asia is fraught with suspicion. Enter the “optical stable isotope analyser,” a device that could provide a lot more certainty about a food’s provenance and authenticity.
Already in use to measure air quality and detect gas leaks, the technology, created by the Silicon Valley firm, Picarro, can also detect isotopes in food.
Hydrogen, oxygen and carbon — found in everything from hamburger to oranges — leave a detailed signature behind illustrating the weather, plant type, growing conditions and manufacturing processes. Picarro calls it “nature’s barcode.”
By analyzing the isotopes — versions of common atoms that have slightly different masses – in this barcode, the Picarro device can detect minute differences in the chemical composition of foods.
Access to this information could be a boon for food companies, government agencies and consumers who want to ensure raw ingredients and additives are really what they say they are. The company says it has already shown that isotope analysis can tell the difference between grassfed and corn-fed beef and the origin of various oils.
“Much of the food ingredients being shipped around the world are untested, and a surprising amount are falsely labelled,” says Green. ”In fact, we’ve bought products off the internet that are completely counterfeit. That’s not just an economic problem, it has massive implications on the health and safety of the public,“ Picarro’s director of business development, Iain Green
The device is the size of bread box and a little taller than a soda can, says . “So it is very portable. We’ve used it in moving boats on the Sacramento River, in cars, and in fields in China. You just cut or grind food up and stick it in the machine,” he says.
At $90 000, it also costs significantly less than its predecessor, the bulky mass spectrometer, which sets companies back a half million dollars and takes up 3 square meters of lab space. The lasers in the Picarro also mean tests cost $.50 to $1 each and the samples need no preparation.
Molecular tracking is the only way to confirm the geographical origin of raw materials, ingredients, fruit, and vegetables, says Picarro. It tells you what barcodes and RFID don’t – where the actual contents of a shipment came from. Not where the container says they came from. It can also tell you where synthetic products were made – or whether natural products are labelled correctly.
Materials can be tested at any point along the chain — growers, distributers, processers, even customs and excise. The authenticity of your raw materials and processed foods can be truly verified. It can protect brands and save significant money.
“Everyone in the field now wants one of these devices,” says Lesley Chesson, a senior scientist with IsoForensics, a Salt Lake City company that also uses isotopes to verify food authenticity.
“It is revolutionising the way we collect and analyse data because we can now easily and cheaply test samples in the back of a van or on an airplane. You don’t need to collect perishable samples and hope you can get them to a lab in time anymore.”
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