The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona has started running a new laboratory specialised in determining the composition of wine thanks to the use of spectrometry. The system, developed under the framework of the UAB-led European project TRACEWINDU, allows determining the composition of the wine and adding a unique smart label to each bottle. This is achieved using blockchain technology, which guarantees the traceability of the wine from grapes to glass.
For four years the UAB has been leading an international consortium whose goal is to improve the productivity of vineyards and guarantee the traceability of wine all along the value chain, with a smart label and a data registry based on a decentralised blockchain. The European project TRACEWINDU, coordinated by UAB Department of Chemistry Professor Manuel Valiente, has developed a system of smart labels to trace the trajectory of each bottle starting from the wine production and with a registry of all retailers involved. This traceability aims to protect the wine industry from an annual loss of billions of euros due to falsifications and illegal trade. In this sense, consumers can buy wine based on complete and trustworthy information on the production process, from grapes to glass. By processing data with the use of artificial intelligence the project will contribute to increasing food safety and trust between producers and consumers of the sector.
In March, the Chemistry Separation Techniques Group (GTS) of the UAB, directed by Manuel Valiente, installed a new laboratory with a spectrometer aimed at determining the composition of wines, following the steps of one of the partners of the project, the French company ADERA-UT2A. In this way, the researchers will also correlate all the information obtained from the sensory analysis of the wines to generate a passport for each product, which will be included on the label in the form of a QR code. This smart label will provide all the relevant information about the product throughout its life cycle in a transparent way, using blockchain technology that prevents any fraudulent manipulation.
“We have developed a new analytical methodology to determine the composition of wine based on a more economical process than the one currently used. Until now it was necessary to use high-precision, high-cost mass spectrometers for the isotopic determination of the elements strontium and lead, which limited the access of small producers to these analyses”, explains Manuel Valiente. “The new methodology, however, uses routine mass spectrometers and bases the robustness of the analytical data on the isotopic determination of up to 23 elements, which makes the process more economical and discriminating, being more robust than current isotopic determinations.”
A robust database of analytical data of wine samples from around the world is being implemented using this new methodology, initially from Europe and Argentina, which will be one of the bases for the application of the blockchain methodology useful for both consumers and producers. The smart label not only informs about the origin and composition, but also enables the producer to know in which area the wine is consumed at the time of reading, a data of great value to improve the commercial process and review the production, as well as to be alert about possible frauds.
In addition, the project works to improve the sustainability of wine production with the introduction of certain plant biostimulants that help plants during episodes of environmental crisis, caused by fungal activity, water stress, or other causes. Trials of biostimulant applications have been carried out both in Europe (Plantaze, Montenegro) and Argentina (INTA, Mendoza), without observing any alteration in the organoleptic properties of the wine and, in the European case, with a significant increase in grape production.
The TRACEWINDU project (reference GA101007979) is funded by the European Union through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions of the Horizon 2020 Programme. Coordinated by the UAB, it includes a partnership of 10 other institutions from 6 countries: Fundació Parc Tecnològic del Vi (Spain), INNOLABS SRL (Italy), Universita di Pisa (Italy), Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (France), DNET LABS Doo Novi Sad (Serbia), Univerzitet Donja Gorica Podgorica (Montenegro), 13 Jul Plantaze ad Podgorica (Montenegro), ADERA SAS-UT2A (France), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (Argentina), and Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (Argentina).