Food Fingerprinting: Using a Two-Tiered approach to Monitor and Mitigate Food Fraud in Rice

Rice is an important staple food that is consumed around the world. Like many foods, the price of rice varies considerably, from very inexpensive for a low-quality product to premium pricing for highly prized varieties from specific locations. Therefore, like other foods it is vulnerable to economically motivated adulteration through substitution or misrepresentation of inferior-quality rice for more expensive varieties.

In this article we describe results of a research project focused on addressing potential food fraud issues related to rice supplies in China, India, Vietnam, and Ghana. Rice fraud manifests differently in each country; therefore, tailored solutions were required.

Here we describe a two-tiered testing regime of rapid screening using portable Near Infrared technology supported by second tier testing using mass spectrometry-based analysis of suspicious samples.

Portable Near Infrared spectroscopy models and laboratory-based Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry methods were developed to differentiate between: high-value Basmati rice varieties and their potential adulterants; six Geographic Indicated protected rice varieties from specific regions within China; various qualities of rice in Ghana and Vietnam; and locally produced and imported rice in Ghana. Furthermore, an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry method was developed to support the Chinese rice varieties methods as well as a Liquid Chromatography Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry method for quality differentiation in Vietnam.

This two-tier approach can provide a substantially increased level of testing through rapid screening outside of the laboratory with the reassurance of corroborating mass spectrometry-based laboratory analysis to support decision making.