Is it really organic? - Multi-isotopic analysis as a tool to discriminate between organic and conventional plants

Laursen, K. H., Mihailova, A., Kelly, S. D., Epov, V. N., Berail, S., Schjoerring, J. K., Donard, O. F. X., Larsen, E. H., Pedentchouk, N. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2923-966X, Marca-Bell, A. D., Halekoh, U., Olesen, J. E. and Husted, S. (2013) Is it really organic? - Multi-isotopic analysis as a tool to discriminate between organic and conventional plants. Food Chemistry, 141 (3). pp. 2812-2820. ISSN 0308-8146

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Abstract

Novel procedures for analytical authentication of organic plant products are urgently needed. Here we present the first study encompassing stable isotopes of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, magnesium and sulphur as well as compound-specific nitrogen and oxygen isotope analysis of nitrate for discrimination of organically and conventionally grown plants. The study was based on wheat, barley, faba bean and potato produced in rigorously controlled long-term field trials comprising 144 experimental plots. Nitrogen isotope analysis revealed the use of animal manure, but was unable to discriminate between plants that were fertilised with synthetic nitrogen fertilisers or green manures from atmospheric nitrogen fixing legumes. This limitation was bypassed using oxygen isotope analysis of nitrate in potato tubers, while hydrogen isotope analysis allowed complete discrimination of organic and conventional wheat and barley grains. It is concluded, that multi-isotopic analysis has the potential to disclose fraudulent substitutions of organic with conventionally cultivated plants.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	authenticity testing,compound-specific,denitrifier method,fertilisers,organic agriculture,plants,stable isotopes
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Environmental Biology Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Resources, Sustainability and Governance (former - to 2018) Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Geosciences Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Geosciences and Natural Hazards (former - to 2017)
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	10 Jul 2013 08:46
Last Modified:	22 Apr 2023 07:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/42969
DOI:	10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.05.068

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