Kenneth Pye
Associates
Ltd.
Scientific Research,
Consultancy and Investigations
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TRACE - Tracing the Origin of Food
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Project funded by the European Commission through the Sixth Framework Programme under the Food Quality and Safety Priority TRACE aims to improve the health and well-being of European citizens by delivering improved traceability of food products. The 5 year project sponsored by the European Commission will provide consumers with added confidence in the authenticity of European food through complete traceability along entire fork to farm food chains. TRACE will develop cost effective analytical methods integrated within sector-specific and -generic traceability systems that will enable the determination and the objective verification of the origin of food. TRACE will also assess European consumer perceptions, attitudes, and expectations regarding food production systems and their ability to trace food products, together with consumer attitudes to designated origin products, food authenticity and food fraud. It will develop a “Good Traceability Practice” guide food production systems. A programme of demonstration activities performed by the food industry will critically appraise of the developed traceability systems to ensure they are cost effective and fit for purpose. Technology transfer activities will train industry, regulatory bodies and analysts in the new systems and methods. The project focuses firstly on mineral water, cereals, honey, meat and chicken but will have wider applicability to other commodities. Kenneth Pye Associates Ltd. involvement was at the soil and water sampling stage of Work Package 1. Sampling was undertaken at three-monthly intervals in six study areas across Europe: Algarve (Portugal), Barcelona (Spain), Cornwall (UK), Galway (Ireland), Limousin (France) and Orkney (UK). Soil samples were prepared in the laboratory for a range of elemental and isotopic analyses. The water samples were filtered and acidified in the field and sent to analytical laboratories for determination of a range of chemical properties. Temperature, pH and electrical conductivity were also determined at the time of sampling. Water filter papers were examined microscopically and the colour determined quantitatively using a Minolta Spectrophotometer.
Click here to visit the official TRACE website |
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