Analytical Sciences

Achieving Food Authenticity and Traceability Using an Analytical Method Focusing on Stable Isotope Analysis

Yaeko SUZUKI

Food Research Institute, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), 2-1-12 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8642, Japan

High-value agricultural products are characterized by the geographical conditions of the production areas such as climatic and soil conditions. These products are protected by the geographical indication (GI) protection system, which has been introduced in more than 100 countries. Because GI products are expensive in the market, products are often mislabeled as GI. Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of analytical methods that enable the tracing of geographical origins of food materials. Stable isotope analysis is used to trace the geographical origin of food materials. In this study, we review the applications for tracing the geographical origin of agricultural products (especially rice, beef, and honey) focusing on an analytical method for analyzing stable isotopes (δD, δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, δ¹⁸O, and δ³⁴S).

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