Is your food what it claims to be? Can you trust the content of your spice and herb jars? Can you be certain that the fish on your plate is the fish that you paid for?
Fraudulent practices in food production are a major concern for consumers and producers alike. Food fraud, like adulteration, mislabelling and unapproved or undeclared enhancement of products, has been observed in a variety of food products.
The JRC has now developed new laboratory methods to detect adulteration in six commonly used spices and herbs. In addition, the JRC has developed two new certified reference materials to help detect whether fish has been substituted, e.g. by a fish of lower value.
Adulterants in paprika/chilli, turmeric, saffron, cumin, oregano, and black pepper
Spices and herbs are at high risk of fraudulent malpractices. In 2021, an EU-wide survey, in which the JRC participated, observed fraudulent practices in six commonly consumed spices and herbs; i.e. paprika/chilli, turmeric, saffron, cumin, oregano and black pepper. At the time, the proportion of suspicious samples found ranged from 6% in paprika/chilli to 48% in oregano. However, comprehensive methodologies to detect adulterants remained scarce, making it difficult for national control laboratories to enforce European and national legislation.
The JRC has now developed new quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) methods to identify the top five adulterants for each of these six spices and herbs. Each method was confirmed to be specific to the targeted adulterant in the relevant authentic species (such as wheat in turmeric). In addition, the sensitivity of the methods will allow control laboratories to distinguish between inadvertent contamination and deliberate adulteration. This approach is particularly advantageous for estimating, quantifying, and confirming the presence of species not allowed in authentic spices and herbs. These can be identified by untargeted DNA-based methods, and chemical biomarkers analysis (e.g. an olive biomarker in an oregano sample).
Thirteen methods are currently under validation within an inter-laboratory exercise. The goal of this exercise is to have harmonised validated methods in the EU and to facilitate their implementation by competent authorities and food business operators.
New certified reference materials to combat fish fraud
The JRC produced two certified reference materials (CRMs) for two species of commonly consumed fish: pollack and saithe. These CRMs will help to detect the substitution of these fish species in processed fish products.
While whole fish can be identified based on morphological characteristics, this is not possible for fish fillet or other processed fish products. Instead, specific DNA-barcodes, short sequences of DNA from a specific gene or genes, can be used for identification. The new CRMs will allow authorities to compare DNA sequences with the ones found in processed fish products.
The CRMs are powders processed from one fillet of one single fish, which was dried using a freeze-drying process and cryogenically milled to obtain a fine powder. The fish powders were certified to originate from authentic pollack and saithe. This was confirmed by sequencing of the species’ specific DNA barcodes and by comparison to sequences deposited in DNA databases. When using these CRMs, laboratories can be confident that their tests will yield accurate results.
How the JRC's work ensures food integrity
The JRC has longstanding experience in fighting food fraud at all levels. From developing new testing methods for detecting the adulteration of honey to applying new digital tools, such as AI and machine learning to analyse vast amounts of data, the JRC’s work benefits European citizens by ensuring the food they consume is safe, authentic, and of high quality.
Background information
The fight against fraudulent practices within the agri-food chain, through enhancing traceability, strengthening alert systems, and improving coordination is a priority at EU-level.
EU legislation mandates transparency in the production, processing, and marketing of food products. National authorities are responsible for conducting regular inspections and controls to ensure compliance with those requirements.
The European Commission has also launched several coordinated actions, on certain products, to assess and apply EU rules while enhancing the detection of certain hazards across the EU and improving cooperation between Member States.
Related links:
A robust set of qPCR methods to evaluate adulteration in major spices and herbs
Certificates and certification reports for CRMs EURM®-021 and EURM®-022
Results of an EU wide coordinated control plan to establish the prevalence of fraudulent practices in the marketing of herbs and spices
A robust set of qPCR methods to evaluate adulteration in major spices and herbs
The EU Agri-Food Fraud Network
EU coordinated actions - European Commission (europa.eu)