Fingerprinting and Origin

Food fraud is an increasing problem at every stage of the food and beverage supply chain. With consumers being more vigilant than ever before regarding the safety, quality and sourcing of the foods they buy, businesses must be able to ensure that the information shown on the label is accurate. Food fingerprinting, the use of isotope analysis to determine the authenticity of ingredients, can help your company to protect its reputation and encourage customer loyalty.

Food Fraud on The Rise

Food fraudsters use a variety of methods to achieve financial gain. These include mislabeling, falsifying or failing to provide documentation, using unapproved processes and replacing, diluting or adding ingredients to a product without declaring it. As ingredients from domestic suppliers or specific geographic regions often command premium prices, fraudsters may use ingredients from areas where prices are lower or replace them with synthetic substances. Food items that are commonly adulterated or misrepresented include olive oil, milk, honey, orange juice, fish, coffee and herbs and spices.

Why choose food fingerprinting from SGS?

Food fingerprinting is the process of identifying the unique isotopic fingerprint of an ingredient using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). This fingerprint comprises the ratios of up to five key elements – carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and sulfur – each of which is affected by the source material, the production process and the environmental conditions specific to the place of origin. It is therefore unique to each ingredient and can be used to determine where it was produced and what processing it has undergone.

Food fingerprinting can be used to:

Verify the geographical origin of an ingredient
Test the authenticity of ingredients labeled as natural
Identify undeclared additives, such as sugar
Detect the use of synthetic fertilizers in organic products

It will help you to:

Prevent food fraud
Reduce risk
Maintain full control of your supply chain
Strengthen your reputation
Increase customer loyalty

Unrivaled Experience in Food Testing

We are the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, with a global network of food scientists and laboratories to ensure the safety, quality and sustainability of your foods. We can help you to ensure that you comply with regulations and satisfy consumer demands.