Field-deployable Analytical Methods to Assess the Authenticity, Safety and Quality of Food
Closed for Proposals
Project Type
Coordinated Research ProjectProject Code
D52040
CRP
2144
Approved Date
2016.10.05Project Status
ClosedStart Date
2017.03.17Expected End Date
2022.06.30Completed Date
2025.03.28Participating Countries
Austria, Belgium, China, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Russian Federation, SwedenDescription
The project will identify and select appropriate analytical techniques and develop protocols to assess the authenticity, safety and quality of food in a field-deployable context. Milk powder and vegetable oils will be used as exemplar commodities to establish methods and guidance for ‘front-line’ food adulteration screening. Recurrent food authenticity and safety crises endanger public health and provoke loss of public confidence. These crises may also result in loss of substantial economic value by authentic product manufacturers and discredit entire economic sectors leading to barriers to international trade. Consequently, national gate-keepers, both food control regulators and customs authorities, find themselves under public pressure whilst not being adequately equipped with food adulteration screening technology to stand up to the challenge of uncovering food fraud. The aim of this CRP is to close the gap between capabilities confined to sophisticated research labs, and technologies that can be utilised by various national gate-keepers in developing countries, namely national customs authorities & food regulators. The opportunity to accomplish this ambitious goal stems from a rapid and on-going reduction in the cost of analytical equipment and a rapid increase in its portability. Throughout the last decade the analytical instrument industry has delivered new families of handheld, portable and transportable tools. This project will consider applications based on hand-held and portable devices including (but not limited to) ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), near infra-red (NIR) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometers and some bench-top laboratory instruments that have become ‘field’ transportable including laser induced breakdown spectrometry (LIBS), laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry (LAMIS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry (MS) and multi-spectral imaging (MSI). This CRP is conducted jointly with the Nuclear Sciences Instrumentation Laboratory under CRP G42007.
Objectives
In the context of food authenticity and adulteration the overall objective of the CRP is to implement low-cost field-deployable analytical techniques for developing countries to enable rapid testing of food products to tackle the increasing problems of economically motivated adulteration and associated potential unintended effects on food safety. ?The main research objective is the development of accessible, rapid methods to screen milk powder and vegetable oils using field deployable technologies. ?Technological advances have been made towards miniaturization of the standard powerful analytical equipment based on IMS, LIBS, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, NMR, MS and MSI. This novel analytical capacity will initially be used for analysis of milk powders and vegetable oils, as exemplar food commodities, with the aim of (see below):
Specific Objectives
Develop accessible databases that will include optical atomic and molecular (vibrational/rotational) spectra, as well as nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectral data linked to identification/characterization of authentic milk powders and vegetable oils and adulterants in food products.
Develop analytical protocols for rapid identification of isotopic/ elemental/ molecular species that may be used to detect economically motivated adulteration and may pose a risk to human health.
Develop characterization strategies for mobile testing that provide guidelines for sampling, spectroscopic analysis and collation of results to maximize the robustness of the scientific output and minimize the costs of the analytical program.
Collect data from authentic reference samples, which is critical for reliable assessment of market-sample authenticity and safety. The mobile facility will also be used to gather authentic samples and conduct on-site testing.
Develop of analytical protocols for the detection and rapid identification of substances in food for identification of geographical origin or for specific modes of production.
Develop accessible databases that will include optical atomic and molecular (vibrational/rotational) spectra, as well as nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectral data linked to identification/characterization of authentic milk powders and vegetable oils and adulterants in food products.
Develop analytical protocols for rapid identification of isotopic/ elemental/ molecular species that may be used to detect economically motivated adulteration and may pose a risk to human health.
Develop characterization strategies for mobile testing that provide guidelines for sampling, spectroscopic analysis and collation of results to maximize the robustness of the scientific output and minimize the costs of the analytical program.
Collect data from authentic reference samples, which is critical for reliable assessment of market-sample authenticity and safety. The mobile facility will also be used to gather authentic samples and conduct on-site testing.
Develop of analytical protocols for the detection and rapid identification of substances in food for identification of geographical origin or for specific modes of production.
Impact
The CRP achieved an increase in capacity for rapid screening technologies to detect food fraud and verify food traceability in the participating Member States, along with significant engagement with relevant stakeholders in the food industry and regulatory bodies. All contracting institutes established contacts with and, in some cases, funding, from the private sector. The developed techniques were applied in some pilot farm projects.
The project contributed to national strategies, i.e., the national strategy of Plan Maroc Vert and the national strategy of the National Office for Sanitary Safety of Food Products (ONSSA) concerning
food health protection in Morocco.
Additionally, the CRP provided a network of users and a forum for the continued incubation of ideas for further research and development. It is expected that these ideas will lead to further collaborations and cooperation between Member States beyond the life of the project.
Relevance
Food fraud is a global challenge that can involve intentional misrepresentation for financial gain or the addition of unsafe or undeclared ingredients, putting consumers at risk. Modern food supply chains are complex and global, creating more opportunities for fraud. This problem requires a robust response to protect both consumers and the integrity of the food industry. Conventional techniques are often expensive, time-consuming, and require specialized laboratory facilities, making them impractical for widespread, real-time checks. The relevance of the CRP has been proven by the increasing need for rapid screening methods which are faster, more affordable, and portable, to quickly identify adulteration, dilution, and mislabeling at various points in the supply chain. Rapid methods enable real-time quality control, improve performance for food manufacturers, and help protect against fraud.
CRP Publications
N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Food Control Volume 119, January 2021, 107459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2020.107459
2021
Chemometric non-targeted analysis for detection of soybean meal adulteration by near infrared spectroscopy
University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Vibrational Spectroscopy 113, 103222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vibspec.2021.103222
2021
Recent trends in the use of FTIR spectroscopy integrated with chemometrics for the detection of edible oil adulteration
The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 38(11), 1805-1816. DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2021.1937709
2021
An isotope dilution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method for detection of melamine in milk powder
India/Soil Microbial Ecology and Environmental Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: LWT 120 (2020): 108945
2020
Attenuated total Reflectance–Fourier transform infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics for rapid detection of argemone oil adulteration in mustard oil
India/Soil Microbial Ecology and Environmental Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Vibrational Spectroscopy 107 (2020): 103033.
2020
Application of Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) Spectroscopy Coupled with Chemometrics for Detection and Quantification of Formalin in Cow Milk
School of Biological Sciences, Queens University Belfast, UK
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Food Chemistry, 353, 128718. doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128718.
2021
The Potential of Handheld Near Infrared Spectroscopy to detect food adulteration: Results of a global, multi-instrument inter-laboratory study
First Author: UK/Manchester University
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 34, no. 8 (2019): 1630-1638
2019
A laser ablation resonance ionisation mass spectrometer (LA-RIMS) for the detection of isotope ratios of uranium at ultra-trace concentrations from solid particles and solutions
Malaysia/ Environmental Technology Division, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences 23.5 (2019): 870-879
2019
AN ASSESSMENT OF FT-IR AND FT-NIR CAPABILITY IN SCREENING CRUDE PALM OIL AUTHENTICITY AND QUALITY COMBINED WITH CHEMOMETRICS
India/Soil Microbial Ecology and Environmental Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Vibrational Spectroscopy 107 (2020): 103033.
2020
Application of Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) Spectroscopy Coupled with Chemometrics for Detection and Quantification of Formalin in Cow Milk
India/Soil Microbial Ecology and Environmental Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: LWT (2020): 109250
2020
Rapid detection of pure coconut oil adulteration with fried coconut oil using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy coupled with multivariate regression modelling
First Author: Russia/Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication
2018
Multiclass partial least squares discriminant analysis: Taking the right way—A critical tutorial
India/Soil Microbial Ecology and Environmental Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: LWT 120 (2020): 108945
2020
Attenuated total Reflectance–Fourier transform infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics for rapid detection of argemone oil adulteration in mustard oil
India/Soil Microbial Ecology and Environmental Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 1-13
2020
Development of an FTIR based chemometric model for the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of cane sugar as an added sugar adulterant in apple fruit juices.
First Author: UK/Manchester University
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 34, no. 8 (2019): 1630-1638
2019
A laser ablation resonance ionisation mass spectrometer (LA-RIMS) for the detection of isotope ratios of uranium at ultra-trace concentrations from solid particles and solutions
University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 244, 118822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2020.118822
2021
Rapid and non-destructive approach for the detection of fried mustard oil adulteration in pure mustard oil via ATR-FTIR spectroscopy-chemometrics
India/Soil Microbial Ecology and Environmental Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: LWT (2020): 118, 109250
2020
Application of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy along with regression modelling for the detection of adulteration of virgin coconut oil with paraffin oil
UK/Manchester University
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Analytical Methods 11, no. 30 (2019): 3819-3828.
2019
Atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) and photoionisation (APPI) mass spectrometry for detection of unsaturated fatty acids: potential for rapid detection of adulteration of vegetable oils
UK/Manchester University
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Analytical Methods 11, no. 30 (2019): 3819-3828.
2019
Atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) and photoionisation (APPI) mass spectrometry for detection of unsaturated fatty acids: potential for rapid detection of adulteration of vegetable oils
University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Vibrational Spectroscopy 113, 103226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vibspec.2021.103226
2021
Non-targeted fingerprinting approach for rapid quantification of mustard oil adulteration with linseed oil: an economically motivated adulteration
India/Soil Microbial Ecology and Environmental Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: LWT (2020): 109250
2020
Rapid detection of pure coconut oil adulteration with fried coconut oil using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy coupled with multivariate regression modelling
First Author: Russia/Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication
2018
Multiclass partial least squares discriminant analysis: Taking the right way—A critical tutorial
University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Current Research in Food Science, 545-552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crfs.2022.03.003
2022
Assessment of geographical origin of virgin coconut oil using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry along with multivariate chemometrics
India/Soil Microbial Ecology and Environmental Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 1-13
2020
Development of an FTIR based chemometric model for the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of cane sugar as an added sugar adulterant in apple fruit juices.
Malaysia/ Environmental Technology Division, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences 23.5 (2019): 870-879
2019
AN ASSESSMENT OF FT-IR AND FT-NIR CAPABILITY IN SCREENING CRUDE PALM OIL AUTHENTICITY AND QUALITY COMBINED WITH CHEMOMETRICS
Core Science Resources, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry, 58(12), pp.1177-1186. Special Issue: Benchtop NMR. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrc.5023
2020
High-throughput screening of argan oil composition and authenticity using benchtop 1H NMR
India/Soil Microbial Ecology and Environmental Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi
Peer reviewed scientific journal publication: LWT (2020): 118, 109250
2020
Application of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy along with regression modelling for the detection of adulteration of virgin coconut oil with paraffin oil