By comparing stable isotope ratios, scientists can distinguish between authentic and adulterated foods and identify mislabelling of a food’s geographical origin and false claims about the production process. Stable isotopes are measured using isotope ratio mass spectrometry, and very small differences in the ratios of the heavy and light forms of isotopes can be detected. These ratios are like nature’s ‘fingerprints’, or signatures, on food. This hidden evidence can be used to determine whether the foods we buy contain the ingredients listed on the label, or whether they have been falsified.
Selvarani Elahi, Deputy Government Chemist for the Government of the United Kingdom and Executive Director of the Food Authenticity Network (FAN), emphasizes the network’s collaborative effort to prevent food fraud: “By leveraging the free information, training and tools available through this global network, countries can enhance their capabilities to detect food fraud and mitigate their vulnerability to it.” FAN facilitates collaboration between scientists, the food industry, government bodies and academia.