This CRP will address some of the challenges that developing countries are facing in ensuring food traceability. It will develop a complete end-to-end system using dairy milk as an example commodity. This system will then be available as a template that can be transferred to other commodities as required.
To establish a coherent and sustainable system for the verification of the origin of a food that will support the rapid tracking of contaminated products and their removal from the food chain.
The specific research objective is to develop and implement a sustainable (turn-key) system utilising nuclear techniques that permits the rapid verification of the origin of dairy products.
A fast response network of experts who can be called upon to respond to a food-safety incident.
A TECDOC and other scientific publications.
A web-based repository of resources including data products and educational materials for provision to stakeholders, students, consumer organizations, etc.
Collection of background information (environmental “isoscapes” representing spatial and/or temporal variation in isotope ratios of key environmental substrates, e.g., precipitation, rocks, and soils) to inform sampling strategy.
Populating a database with commodity-specific information enabling the assessment of reference values and the associated uncertainty (dispersion), including analysis of geo-referenced samples and accessing quality-assured data stored elsewhere.
Validation of and training in analytical techniques for this purpose, including implementation of quality systems, reference materials, reporting procedures, etc.
1. This CRP successfully demonstrated the feasibility of using stable isotope and trace element (SITE) analysis combined with other Nuclear and related techniques to establish the geographical origin of milk and other dairy foods produced in developing Member States.
2. This CRP has successfully raised the awareness in Member States of SITE analysis and its applications to food traceability (production and geographical) and authenticity and its potential to reduce barriers to trade and enhance consumer confidence.
3. This CRP has generated a significant number of food authenticity and traceability datasets for the first time.
4. This CRP has enhanced the member state capabilities in SITE analysis and has generated several new methods, SOPs, and training opportunities.
5. This CRP has facilitated further investment by the Member States in these SITE capabilities, and helped secure new funding.
6. This CRP has facilitated new scientific collaborations and involvement in national and international networks and food authenticity projects.
7. This CRP has raised awareness and allowed consortium members to interact with stakeholders and regulators within their respective Member States.
8. Stable isotope and trace element (SITE) ‘fingerprinting’ was successfully used to independently verify the “Selected Quality - Slovenia” mark on milk products in retail markets.
9. The Agri-Food Veterinary Authority of Singapore (now part of the Singapore Food Agency) used stable isotope and trace element (SITE) ‘fingerprinting’ was successfully.
10. China is using an NMR based method to check the quality of milk in its testing centers based on methodology developed in this CRP.
Many commodities, especially those that attract premium prices, may be subject to fraud such as adulteration or counterfeiting. Furthermore, this poses serious health risks due to the unknown identity of the adulterants used and the origin of counterfeits, which may be produced in unsanitary conditions or in premises that are unlicensed for food production. Trade in milk and dairy products is a global issue and there are numerous sensitivities associated with it, which were born out of the "melamine in milk scandal" of 2008. These sensitivities can be political, consumer led and/or commercial. Furthermore, the level of fraud is not well known and many think it is much greater than current estimates. Countries and producers are often reluctant to investigate as even the thought that there may be a problem can damage consumer confidence and cause loss of trade. The IAEA is ideally placed as an impartial agency to help to develop and disseminate the methodology and applications to allow Member States to enhance confidence in their milk and dairy control systems. The analytical technologies that underpin this work are nuclear. These include stable isotope and trace element analyses. These methodologies have the potential to be applied in many developing countries and are a peaceful application of nuclear technology.