| Abstract: |
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has launched a five-year research project that aims to refine methods to apply nuclear technologies to combat food fraud. Nuclear-derived techniques – particularly stable isotope analysis – could be used to test for accuracy in food labels, and help detect fraud in high-value food products such as “premium honey, coffee and speciality rice varieties,” says the IAEA, which is working on the project in tandem with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).The method works by looking at the ratio of stable isotopes in elements – such as hydrogen, oxygen and carbon – and the concentration of elements in a sample of the product. These can provide a unique fingerprint that links a crop to the place where it is cultivated. The new project extends an ongoing programme at the IAEA and FAO which focused on the development of methods for using hand-held devices to test food authenticity as well as guidelines for analyses and the establishment of a comprehensive database of authentic reference samples.“Numerous foods are sold at premium prices because of specific production methods, or geographical origins,” said project coordinator and IAEA food safety specialist Simon Kelly. |
