Development of a multiplex DNA-based traceability tool for crop plant materials.

Area of Science:

• Food science
• Molecular biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Growing consumer and industry demand for food authenticity and accurate labeling.
• Globalized food supply chains increase complexity and risk of adulteration.
• Existing methods may lack the specificity or multiplexing capability for complex food traceability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend a DNA-based multiplex detection tool for enhanced food traceability.
• To focus on commercially important products like Farro della Garfagnana (FdG) emmer wheat and Basmati rice.
• To validate the tool's specificity and sensitivity for detecting adulteration.

Main Methods:

• Development and application of a 15-plex padlock probe ligation and microarray detection (PPLMD) tool.
• Specificity testing of 14 plant-related padlock probes against various species/varieties.
• Validation using mixtures of premium and cheaper food commodities.

Main Results:

• The PPLMD tool demonstrated high specificity, distinguishing targets with single nucleotide differences.
• Detection of at least 5% Farro della Garfagnana or Basmati rice in mixtures with common alternatives.
• Potential to detect even lower levels of intentional or unintentional adulteration.

Conclusions:

• The PPLMD tool is a robust method for detecting fraudulent admixtures in premium foods.
• This technology is ready for global monitoring of correct food labeling.
• Ensures authenticity and consumer trust in high-value food products.