CSI-TRACE your Food! Determination of provenance of food products from regional Austrian production by means of multi element and isotopic fingerprints

The thematic focus of the project 'classroom science interaction - CSI:Trace Your Food' is based on the systematic determination of intrinsic unique chemical fingerprints of different food commodities in Austria for the identification of the provenance. In order to establish a unequivocal chain the relation between environmental factors (e.g. geology, soil, warted, sea level) and the chemical composition of food will be investigated. On the example of fish, the time resolved storage of chemical information in the incrementally grown ear stones of the fish - the otoliths - will be used to trace the life history of fish grown in Austrian aquaculture. At the end, an online tool will be provided to monitor the provenance of samples of unknown origin. In order to investigate the judicial relevance of the developed tool, the project is conducted in collaboration with the AGES and AMA. 10 schools in all 9 counties will conduct research as citizen-researchers in order to establish data of regional environment and local products. The scientific exchange will be conducted on a regular basis by making use of virtual classrooms. During a 'science Camp' the pupils will make an on-site visit at the VIRIS laboratories at the BOKU in Tulln. The project will be summarized in a "Österreich Jause" where the results will be disseminated to the public under the participation of the schools, AGES and AMA.