Ingredient verification and adulteration detection you can trust

Food authenticity and food adulteration have long been a subject of concern with consumers and producers. Problems with dilution, mislabeling, and partial or complete substitution of expensive ingredients are not infrequent practices and can inflict substantial damage on the companies involved.

Eurofins Food & Feed Testing is a world leader in food authenticity and adulteration testing and protects the legacies of the largest food companies in the world. Our scientists maintain up-to-the-minute expertise in emerging food adulteration hazards and trends. From ingredient verification to adulteration detection and innovative analytical solutions, we are your partner in protecting the purity of your ingredients and supply chain.

Let us help find your solution

Capabilities

Expand_img
  • Agave syrup, honey, maple syrup
    • Detection of addition of sugar or other undeclared additives, mislabeling, geographical origin check
  • Basmati rice
    • Quantification of the amount of basmati present in rice
  • Cereals
    • Confirmation of variety; geographical origin check
  • Coffee, tea, spices, and herbal extracts
    • Differentiation Arabica vs Robusta, Coffee vs chicory, etc.; checking for natural or synthetic sources in tea, coffee, or guarana-containing drinks; geographical origin check
  • Dairy products
    • Confirmation of the main feed used (grass or maize silage), detection of reconstitution, check flavorings (e.g. fruit, vanilla); geographical origin check
  • Fish
    • Confirmation of species and of origin (wild farmed)
  • Flavors
    • Checking whether a flavor is natural from X (vanilla, aniseed, bitter almond, cinnamon, linalool, etc.), natural, or synthetic
  • Fruit juice and derived products
    • Detection of addition of sugar, water, colorings, aromas or other undeclared additives, determination of fruit content; geographical origin check
  • Meat products
    • Confirmation of animal species DNA, test for animal proteins, verification of absence, differentiation of type
  • Olive oil
    • Quality testing, detection of impurities, purity testing, as well as contaminant testing
  • Spirits, beers
    • Control of the botanical origin of the alcohol, detection of addition of water, sugars, or flavors (according to current regulations and/or product specifications)
  • Wines, ciders
    • Detection of chaptalization, sugaring, dilution or addition of glycerol, checking the process used in sparkling products, conformity to the isotopic profile; geographical origin check

Need something tested that you don't see here? Contact us about additional capabilities.

Agave syrup and fruit juice authenticity

Expand_img

Agave syrup

The use of Agave plants, Agave tequilana, and Agave salmiana, as a sugar source for the production of tequila and mescal alcoholic beverages, has been carried out for years. However, due to its low glycemic index (GI), and the bad publicity that surrounds high fructose corn syrups (HFCS), these products have recently found another outlet as sugar substitutes. As with all sugar-rich products, there is always a risk that they will be extended with sugars from a cheaper source.

Through our network of laboratories, Eurofins Food & Feed Testing can utilize both Oligosaccharide profile by Capillary Gas Chromatography and Site-Specific Natural Isotope Fractionation-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (SNIF-NMR) approaches to detect adulteration. Both of these are effective methods for identifying atypical profiles. 

Analysis of the Oligosaccharide profile by GC is relatively quick and can detect the addition of syrups derived from starch in addition to invert sugar.

The isotopic method provides an additional “high tech” approach to assess the product and will detect the presence of syrups that have been treated in such a way to remove the disaccharide marker peaks.

Work with our experts today to decide which approach is right for your product.

Fruit juice

Our laboratories employ the latest analytical technologies that provide the robustness and sensitivity needed for the detection of adulterants in juice products. Our technical expertise and market knowledge in various industries allow our clients to verify compliance with the latest regulations in each country and market, both for fruit juice concentrate and finished products.

We currently analyze the following fruit juices:

  • Apple
  • Apricot
  • Blueberry
  • Cherry
  • Grape
  • Grapefruit
  • Lemon
  • Lime
  • Nectarine
  • Passion fruit
  • Peach
  • Pear
  • Pineapple
  • Pomegranate

We offer targeted and non-targeted approaches:

  • Artificial color scan
  • Heavy metals
  • Isotopic analysis
  • Mineral profile
  • Oligosaccharide profile by Capillary Gas Chromatography to detect the addition of inulin syrup, invert sugar, and HFCS addition
  • Organic acids profile
  • Patulin
  • Pesticides residues
  • Polymethoxylated flavones for lemon juice adulteration with lime juice
  • Polyphenols and anthocyanins fingerprint
  • Sugar profile

In addition to our excellent chemical analyses, the Eurofins Food & Feed Testing network of laboratories is capable of utilizing both SIRA (Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis) and a unique tool, SNIF-NMR (Site-Specific Natural Isotope Fractionation-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), both of which are effective methods for identifying atypical profiles.

Need something tested that you don't see here? Contact us about additional capabilities.

Avocado and olive oil adulteration

Expand_img

Below is a list of our capabilities related to avocado and olive oil adulteration:

  • Olive Oil Commission of California (OOCC) quality testing including moisture, insoluble impurities, FFA, UV, extinction, DAG, PPP, and sensory
  • Leading OOCC purity testing including sterol composition, stigmastadienes, waxes, FAMES and FAEEs, ECN42, and tocopherols
  • American Oil Chemist Society (AOCS) testing including quality and purity
  • Full contaminants testing including known pesticides, BPA, solvent residues, and phthalate compounds
  • Polyphenols profile LC-MSMS
  • Specialized storage capability for olive oil
  • Agility, innovation, customized service, and consistent, accurate results

Our laboratory is:

  • American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS) chemistry and sensory approved
  • Olive Oil Commission of California (OOCC), California Olive Oil Council (COOC), and American Olive Oil Producers Association (AOOPA) approved

 

Fish authenticity

Expand_img

At Eurofins Food & Feed Testing, we use FDA-recommended DNA “barcoding” technology to confirm your product’s identity and compliance with labeling requirements. Our experts help our customers know, unmistakably, that the premium fish fillet that they have is in fact that premium fish and not a lower-valued substitute.

Below is some of the testing we offer:

  • Fish speciation/ID
  • 4-hexylresorcinol       
  • Added sulfites and phosphates                     
  • Melamine and analogs
  • Polyphosphates
  • Preservative residues

Food fraud services

Expand_img

The Eurofins Food & Feed Testing network of laboratories offers end-to-end food fraud mitigation services. Our suite of solutions includes:

  • Consulting
  • Implementation of mitigation plans
  • Industry-leading authenticity testing
  • Supply chain mapping
  • Training

As a global leader in authenticity testing and food safety certification, we are a comprehensive resource when it comes to food fraud avoidance and mitigation.

What is food fraud?

Food fraud is the deliberate and intentional substitution, addition, tampering, or misrepresentation of food, food ingredients, or mislabeling on food packaging for the seller's economic gain.

Food fraud is increasingly widespread and results in billions in economic loss and long-term damage to brand reputation. It can also pose a serious threat to public health.

Meat species ID

Expand_img

Eurofins Analytical Laboratories, Inc. is accredited to international ISO 17025 standards and offers a full suite of testing to identify the meat species in your products. In addition, we provide rapid turnaround times and scientific experts that work with customers to help answer questions about food fraud and provide solutions. Many countries have imposed restrictions, and even outright bans, on the use of animal by-products and proteins in feed.

  • In the U.S., FDA guidelines prohibit the feeding of mammalian protein to ruminant animals (CFR 589.2000).
  • In China, regulations require that no ruminant DNA be present in poultry and fish meal.
  • In Europe, even stricter regulations prohibit the presence of most animal proteins in feed.

Companies producing Kosher and Halal products, including food and dietary supplements, may want to verify the absence of pork, shellfish, or other prohibited ingredients through appropriate testing as part of the quality control programs.

Pet food is another area where ongoing vigilance is exercised as meat products are often included in finished products, when they shouldn’t be. Meat speciation testing can be used to verify the protein sources in pet foods.

We offer

  • PCR tests for a wide variety of animal species DNA, such as cattle, pig, horse, and many others
  • ELISA tests for animal proteins, such as ruminant species (cattle, sheep, goat)
  • Rapid turnaround times, including same-day and next-day rush results
  • Scientific experts to help answer your questions and provide solutions

Please contact us for assistance in determining which testing methods would work best for your company and product.

Supplier verification and FSMA

Expand_img

Most suppliers are honest and will supply you with what you ordered; however, not all are, and at times, supplier verification is essential:

  • If possible, only use suppliers that you have visited and audited, or have been approved by a third party (such SGF IRMA scheme for fruit juices). This should not preclude you from also verifying these suppliers.
  • Everything has a price, and if the price is too good, there may be a very good reason why.
  • All juices produced or imported into the US have to be prepared according to the principles made in the FDA Juice HACCP program.

More details about the FDA Juice HACCP program can be found here.

With the introduction of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the conditions applied to juice manufacturers will now be applicable to other sections of the food industry.

More details about the Food Safety Modernization Act can be found here.

Your partner for authenticity and food fraud detection. Let's find your solution.

Contact us