Food and beverage labels often specify a product’s geographical origin, species, variety and method of production. These claims can significantly influence an item’s economic value, but their verification is not always straightforward. This book, with contributions from academics and industry practitioners reviews new analytical methods in this area together with applications to key commodities.
Part one introduces the concept of food origin and provides supporting information on labeling legislation and standards, while the middle section moves on to explore new approaches for verifying the geographical origin of food using geospatial models and verifying species and varietal components of the food we eat. Holistic methods of verification methods using vibrational spectroscopy and associated chemometrics are also discussed. The concluding group of chapters highlights the applications of new analytical methods to verify the origin of particular food commodities: fish, honey and wine.