Central Science Laboratory

• :: Home
• Supplier Portal
• Conference facilities
• ::  Search   

• About CSL
• Our purpose
• Services
• Special interest
• Innovation
• News and resources
• Conference centre
• Careers
• Contact us

www.csl.gov.uk > About CSL > CSL Science > Food Science Group > Authenticity and traceablility

CSL undertakes state-of-the-art research on food authenticity and related aspects of traceability for national and international stakeholders. A variety of techniques is used, including proteomics, real-time PCR, isotope ratio mass spectrometry, ICP-MS and high-field NMR.

Our main objective is to produce innovative and cost-effective solutions for major stakeholders in the area of food quality. To fulfil this objective we focus not only on developing innovative science but also on ensuring that we have a significant input into the research planning of our major fundholders.

Activities

Food authenticity and traceability can be divided into five main areas of scientific activity at CSL:

NMR

High-resolution NMR was originally used to determine the illegal addition of sugar to wine and fruit juices using SNIF�-NMR. Considerable developments have been made since then in expanding the work into metabolite profiling, resulting in several food authenticity/quality applications.

Molecular biology

DNA and proteomics technology play a major role in food authenticity and labelling. Real-time PCR allows quantitative determination of species composition. Following the introduction of new legislation on allergens in food, we have developed a sensitive real-time PCR method to detect peanut in food products.

Chromatographic techniques

We have developed several methods to determine the authenticity of oils and fats.

Research activities within TRACE

TRACE is a five-year, European Commission-sponsored project that aims to improve the health and well-being of European citizens by delivering improved traceability of food products. Specifications are being developed for food products that will be linked to supply chain management systems, enabling their origin to be more easily verified.

Stable isotopes and trace elements

Achievements

• Development of a stable isotope method for the differentiation of corn-fed chicken from birds on other feed regimes
• Development of isotope ratio mass spectrometry methods for confirming the traceability and authenticity of food within the EU projects �PureJuice� and �TRACE�

Research activities

Brief descriptions of some recent projects are available here.

Posters
Characterisation of honey by molecular biological methods	(517kb)
Tracing the origin of food	(861kb)

Recent publications

Dennis M J, Heaton K, Rhodes C, Kelly S, Hird S, Brereton P: The evaluation of a method for the direct measurement of carbohydrates in foodstuffs. Analytica Climica Acta, Vol 55, pp 175-180.