Food authenticity studies via stable isotopic and multielemental analyses using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)
Abstract
Food authenticity and traceability have become key issues during the last years. The main goal is to protect consumers from fraud and wrong declarations and to best quality food. Isotopic and multielement analysis provide a promising approach for food traceability, as geology as well as environmental conditions (wind, precipitation, traffic or application of fertilizers) influence and reflect the elemental composition of food. Accordingly, regions have their specific isotopic and elemental pattern which allows the determination of geographical origin of food and therefore the provision of food authenticity. Isotope ratio measurements of the so called ’heavy stable isotopes‘ such as e.g. strontium or lead via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are applied in combination with the so called ’light elements‘ (e.g S,C,O,N and H) for food authenticity studies. Certain fractions of trace elements are taken up by plants via different environmental systems and pathways such as air, water and soil. The uptake of elements depends on the composition of the different environmental sources and the plant species. It is thus possible to develop multielement pattern in food for identification of geographical origin as these parameters influence the elemental composition of the final product. Methodological approaches using the combination of high resolution mass spectrometers and appropriate sample preparation procedures (to avoid potential spectral interferences) will be applied to enable the determination of origin of agriculturally produced (e.g. Marchfeld asparagus) and processed food (e.g. Szegedi paprika, honey, coffee) and feed by isotope (Sr, Pb, S, Ca and C) and element fingerprints by nebulisation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A novelty in this applied project is the method development of direct analysis techniques for isotopic and elemental fingerprinting in food using laser ablation ICP-MS.
keywords food traceability food authenticity stable isotopic pattern multielement pattern (MC)-ICP-MS
Publikationen
Project staff
Thomas Prohaska
Ao.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Thomas Prohaska
thomas.prohaska@boku.ac.at
BOKU Project Leader
01.03.2009 - 28.02.2012