H2020 ORGANIC QUAL TRACERS Project: Organic Food Quality Control and Metabolomic Fingerprinting
- Type Project
- Status Filled
- Execution 2016 -2018
- Assigned Budget 170.121,6 €
- Scope Europeo
- Main source of financing H2020
- Project website ORGANIC QUAL TRACERS
Several field trials were conducted with different plant matrices (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers) in greenhouses located in Almería (southeastern Spain), under controlled agronomic conditions, using organic and conventional cultivation methods. In addition, a pilot study of cross-contamination was carried out on a greenhouse-grown green bean crop.
Regarding the results of isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), nitrogen (N) analysis as traces of production method, only δ15N data from edible parts of tomato plants did not provide a robust classification model to discriminate between organic and conventional growing practices, since the addition of low or moderate rates of synthetic fertilizers to the basal organic fertilization could not be confirmed by this methodology.
The results of the HRMS analysis on pesticide residue monitoring in organic foods showed that within the scope of pesticides analyzed using a multi-residue method (307 in total), 34 different pesticides were detected in a total of 111 commercial samples labeled with organic certification (only 3 authorized pesticides from organic production). Regarding unauthorized pesticides, phosphonic acid was the most frequently detected substance (with 38 detections), followed by the herbicide chlorpropham (6 times), chlorates (5 times), and the fungicide fludioxonil (4 times).
In all cases, concentration levels were below the MRLs established in the EU regulation, in accordance with good agricultural practices (GAP). Therefore, the development and validation of multi-residue pesticide methods with LOQs below 10 µg/kg is an important factor for better assessing and detecting potential fraud in organic crops. Furthermore, the cross-contamination study showed that contamination from drift during the production process was very low (100 times lower than the average for fruits) compared to treated plants. These results also showed that leaf analysis could be a good temporal tracer of pesticide misuse.
The high level of selectivity and sensitivity of HRMS techniques allowed for the identification and characterization of natural food components, present at trace levels but capable of distinguishing between conventional and organic production practices. The combination of multivariate statistical analysis (MSA) with MS profiling data proved to be a useful approach for grouping samples according to agricultural production systems. However, these data are limited to specific crops. Therefore, the ongoing creation of HRMS databases, obtained under controlled agronomic conditions with different vegetable varieties and geographical locations, could facilitate the detection of potential fraud, the authenticity of organic production, and its potential health benefits.
Finally, the most relevant results obtained from the project have been presented at various international workshops (FoodIntegrity-2017, EuroFoodChem-2017, RAFA-2017, and Pesticides-2018), as well as at various scientific events (Researcher Night 2017 and The Science Week 2017). Some of these results have also been published in a Gold Open Access scientific journal (doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2018.03.002). In all cases, EU funding (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions) was acknowledged during the dissemination and outreach activities.
Over the past decade, organic food consumption has increased dramatically worldwide. However, according to the literature reviewed, the legislative framework has not kept pace with this market expansion, and greater standardization of analytical chemical methods is needed to support accreditation bodies.
The lack of reliable markers for distinguishing between organic and conventional products makes this market susceptible to fraud attempts. In a recent report (Regulation (EC) No. 848/2018), the Commission Regulation has highlighted the need for greater cooperation between industry, government, regulatory bodies, consumer groups, and organizations. Furthermore, sampling procedures, the efficiency of crop leaf analysis, and drift processes must also be clarified.
The "ORGANIC QUAL TRACERS" project addresses the key need to address authentication challenges in the organic food sector, especially in the case of organic vegetables, as these are pioneering products in Europe. The results obtained from this proposal represent progress in one of the main challenges facing European society (productive and sustainable agriculture) and contribute to the objectives of the Horizon 2020 Strategy "A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth," improving consumer trust in organic products and thus facilitating the continued growth of EU organic food markets.
The project has confirmed the usefulness of new cutting-edge techniques in mass spectrometry analysis (IRMS and HRMS), in combination with chemometric analysis, to improve information (qualitative/quantitative) both in food safety/quality control and in its application to organic products. It has offered analytical approaches to (i) obtain comprehensive information on contaminants, (ii) determine natural components, and (iii) establish (dis)similarities between products.
Over the past decade, organic food production and consumption has increased dramatically worldwide. The EU organic food market generates a turnover of over €22 billion, with a total of approximately 11 million hectares and 250,000 farms (2013). However, according to the literature reviewed, neither domestic supply nor the legislative framework has kept pace with this market expansion, and further harmonization of data collection methodology is needed.
On the other hand, the lack of reliable markers for distinguishing between organic and conventional products makes this market susceptible to fraud attempts. The Commission Regulation (No. 889/2008) highlights the need for greater cooperation between industry, government, enforcement agencies, consumer groups, and organizations in a recent report.
In this context, the project aims to confirm the usefulness of new cutting-edge techniques in mass spectrometry analysis (IRMS and HRMS), in combination with MSA, to improve information (qualitative/quantitative) in both food safety and quality control and its application to organic products. It will offer analytical approaches to (i) obtain comprehensive information on contaminants, (ii) determine natural components, and (iii) establish (dis)similarities between products.
The "ORGANIC QUAL TRACERS" project addresses the key need to address authentication challenges in the organic food sector, especially in the case of organic vegetables, as these are pioneering products in Europe. The proposal contributes to the objectives of the Horizon 2020 Strategy ("A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth").
Spain is the largest producer of these crops within the European Union (EU), accounting for 17% of the total area under organic farming in the EU. The Spanish agricultural area dedicated to organic farming has increased by almost 15% over a five-year period, from 1,756,548 ha (2012) to 2,018,802 ha (2016). According to the latest official data, and considering that Almería is the Spanish province with the largest number of registered organic producers (1,982 out of a total of 10,203 in Andalusia), it is evident that this production represents a significant socioeconomic impact in the area, as it can improve the competitiveness of producers/exporters. Therefore, the results of this project have an important contribution to both social and economic development in this area and, by extension, to the Mediterranean regions.
At the same time, given the highly competitive food market, the project's results help to safeguard unequal competition from third countries, increasing consumer confidence by revealing potential fraudulent practices in organic farming and, consequently, ensuring the authenticity of EU-labeled organic foods, thereby facilitating the continued growth of EU food-producing regions.
Ultimately, the project's results have generated technical and scientific documents that have provided a reliable tool for food quality control to both conventional laboratories and organic certification bodies.
- UNIVERSIDAD DE ALMERIA (UAL)
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