IAEA project to curb food fraud

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) embarks on a five-year research project to help fight fraud in premium honey, coffee, speciality rice varieties, and other high value products.

Working on the case are experts from 16 countries who will refine the methods to apply nuclear-derived techniques to test for accuracy in food labels. 

The project is carried out in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

“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. “In order to protect consumers from fraud, and potential unintended food safety issues, we need standardized methods to confirm that the product has the characteristics that are claimed on the label.”

Stable isotope analysis can help differentiate real manuka honey (right jar) from a fake. A new IAEA project will help countries apply this technique to combat fraud in premium foods. (Photo: A. Cannavan/IAEA)

Stable isotope techniques

The project will help countries apply stable isotope techniques to protect and promote foods with added-value, such as organic food or products with specific geographical origins like Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. 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.  

“DNA will tell your parentage but not where you were brought up, whereas the isotopes the food product has absorbed from the environment reflect where they grow,” said Russell Frew, professor of chemistry at the University of Otago in New Zealand and one of the experts taking part in the project.

Mr Frew worked previously at the Food and Environmental Protection Laboratory of the Joint FAO/IAEA Programme in Seibersdorf, Austria, where he helped to develop the stable isotope method to test for authenticity in manuka honey. “It is reported that there is about six times as much manuka consumed as is produced,” he said. The honey, produced from the nectar of the New Zealand manuka tree flower, boasts natural anti-microbial properties and can fetch up to 1,000 New Zealand dollars, or almost Euro 600, per kilogramme.  

Nives Ogrinc, Professor of Ecotechnology at the Jozef Stefan Institute in Slovenia, is looking to apply the method to safeguard the quality and geographic denomination of Slovenian truffles, a lucrative business. “White truffles can sell for up to 2,300 Euro per kg – they are a big market, so there is a lot of fraud. We are also working on fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, cherries, and garlic.”

Protecting products from developing countries

Fraud is a growing problem in the food industry, affecting countries globally and hurting exports. The research project will help developing countries increase compliance with regulatory requirements, thus facilitating trade.  

Incorrect labelling is also affecting Thai Hom Mali rice, a premium fragrant long-grain variety that accounts for 13-18% of Thai rice exports. The rice is produced in the north and north-eastern parts of the country, which offer the ideal combination of soil and climate conditions. “We have no laboratory to do this type of analysis, so I want to learn how to apply this method,” said Wannee Srinuttrakul, a scientist at the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology.  

Prized for its aroma and low-acidity, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is among the world’s most expensive, making it prone to counterfeiting. “It is really important for us to protect our coffee,” said Leslie Ann Hoo Fung, a researcher at the International Centre for Environment and Nuclear Sciences in Kingston, Jamaica. “We want to apply nuclear techniques to differentiate Blue Mountain from High Mountain coffee, for example, as they command different price points.” Jamaica also wants to look at the applicability of the technique to other premium national commodities, such as cocoa and rum.

The research project started with a kick-off meeting last week and will run for five years. Participating countries include China, Costa Rica, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Morocco, Myanmar, New Zealand, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand and Uruguay.

The IAEA, jointly with the FAO, helps its Member States use nuclear and related techniques for science-based solutions to improve food safety and security and sustainable agricultural practices. The FAO, together with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, published a report in 2018 highlighting the benefits of robust geographical indication systems for local food products to rural communities.

Related resources

Food safety and quality

Fighting fraud with nuclear science