New approaches to determining the origin of food

Recent food scares and the globalisation of food and feed markets combined with the relative ease with which food commodities are transported through and between countries and continents, means that consumers are increasingly concerned about the origin of the foods they eat. Over the last five years an increasing number of genetic, spectroscopic, molecular and isotopic methods that permit independent verification of the origin of the foods we consume have been described in the literature. Paper trails of food products can be falsified by experienced criminals, or errors could be introduced unintentionally, leading to incorrect information on product labels. With increasing legislative demands on food producers to provide clear and concise origin information, the new approaches to independent verification techniques described here have the potential to contribute significantly to the food origin record process.