DNA Techniques to Verify Food Authenticity : Applications in Food Fraud.

355 Pages·2019·14.045 MB·English

by  Burns, Malcolm, Emons, Hendrik, Moore, Victoria, Nixon, Gavin, Payne, Nigel, Pecoraro, Sven, Primrose, Sandy, Roosens, Nancy, Walker, Michael, Wilkes, Timothy

DNA Techniques to Verify Food Authenticity
Applications in Food Fraud
Food Chemistry, Function and Analysis
Series editors:
Gary Williamson, University of Leeds, UK
Alejandro G. Marangoni, University of Guelph, Canada
Juliet A. Gerrard, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Titles in the series:
1: Food Biosensors
2: Sensing Techniques for Food Safety and Quality Control
3: Edible Oil Structuring: Concepts, Methods and Applications
4: Food Irradiation Technologies: Concepts, Applications and Outcomes
5: Non- extractable Polyphenols and Carotenoids: Importance in Human
Nutrition and Health
6: Cereal Grain- based Functional Foods: Carbohydrate and Phytochemical
Components
7: Steviol Glycosides: Cultivation, Processing, Analysis and Applications in
Food
8: Legumes: Nutritional Quality, Processing and Potential Health Benefits
9: Tomato Chemistry, Industrial Processing and Product Development
10: Food Contact Materials Analysis: Mass Spectrometry Techniques
11: Vitamin E: Chemistry and Nutritional Benefits
12: Anthocyanins from Natural Sources: Exploiting Targeted Delivery for
Improved Health
13: Carotenoid Esters in Foods: Physical, Chemical and Biological
Properties
14: Eggs as Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals for Human Health
15: Rapid Antibody- based Technologies in Food Analysis
16: DNA Techniques to Verify Food Authenticity: Applications in Food
Fraud
How to obtain future titles on publication:
A standing order plan is available for this series. A standing order will bring
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DNA Techniques to Verify
Food Authenticity
Applications in Food Fraud
Edited by
Malcolm Burns
LGC Ltd, UK
Email: [email protected]
Lucy Foster
Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs, UK
Email: [email protected]
and
Michael Walker
Michael Walker Consulting Ltd, UK
Email: [email protected]
Food Chemistry, Function and Analysis No.16
Print ISBN: 978-1 - 78801- 178- 5
PDF ISBN: 978- 1- 78801-6 02- 5
EPUB ISBN: 978- 1- 78801- 897- 5
Print ISSN: 2398- 0656
Electronic ISSN: 2398- 0664
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Foreword
The European horse meat scandal of 2013 refocused global attention on food 
authenticity. Food fraud inflicts harm on consumers and businesses, erod-
ing confidence in the integrity of our global food system. Reputations can 
be badly damaged, food safety compromised and money and trust lost. The 
subsequent review I led introduced the term ‘food crime’ into the lexicon and 
my recommendations were accepted in full by the UK Government. These 
included the development of methods, their validation and sustainable labo-
ratory services as key components.
This book is edited by a distinguished trio of scientists who each played 
a significant role in dealing with the horse meat scandal and its aftermath. 
They have recruited the top experts in the fields of molecular biology and 
food authenticity across the globe to contribute what will, I am sure, become 
the definitive text on DNA techniques to verify food authenticity.
They have fulfilled their aims to provide a fundamental understanding of 
modern DNA techniques applied to food and to reflect current issues and 
cutting- edge techniques, such as next generation sequencing and digital 
PCR. They enable the reader to choose optimum techniques and approaches 
to address various aspects of food authenticity amenable to DNA techniques. 
They have also considered wider aspects around harmonisation, standardi-
sation and collaboration, which are intrinsic to ‘fit for purpose’ analysis to 
protect consumers, enforce food labelling law and maintain a competitive 
and resilient food sector.
The book will serve as an informative reference text for new users and pro-
vide a touchstone for best practice for experienced scientists. I congratulate 

Food Chemistry, Function and Analysis No.16
DNA Techniques to Verify Food Authenticity: Applications in Food Fraud
Edited by Malcolm Burns, Lucy Foster and Michael Walker
© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2020
Published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, www.rsc.org
v
vi Foreword
the editors and contributors for successfully compiling this excellent volume 
that describes the state of the art of DNA- based approaches for the detection 
and prevention of food fraud and food crime.
Christopher Elliott OBE
Founder of the Institute for Global Food Security
Queen's University of Belfast
Preface
When asked about writing or editing a book those who have done so gener-
ally reply “Don't do it”. This has not been our experience. When Nicki Dennis 
first approached one of us (Michael Walker) on behalf of the Royal Society 
of Chemistry to put together a book on DNA and food authenticity the reac-
tion was – what a great idea, but I can't do this on my own. Two experts, Lucy 
Foster and Malcolm Burns, immediately sprang to mind and both readily 
agreed to participate. What followed was two years of hard work. But we can 
honestly say the experience has been one of exciting learning – from each 
other and from the subject matter experts who have generously contributed 
chapters. As a team of editors we appear to have complementary skills and 
networks so that the whole process has been one of collaborative enjoyment. 
The Royal Society of Chemistry team, Katie Morrey, Janet Freshwater and 
Robin Driscoll have been helpful and cooperative throughout. A particular 
mention must go to Dr Sandy Primrose. Sandy's vision is to bring the quality 
assurance rigour now commonplace in analytical chemistry to the younger 
discipline of molecular biology. This vision forms a core theme of the book 
and Sandy provided a guiding hand throughout, as well as contributing sev-
eral chapters as a long- standing authority on food authenticity.
In terms of the expertise that we bring to this book, we all have food 
analysis in common. Dr Malcolm Burns trained as a plant molecular biol-
ogist at Birmingham University, gaining his PhD in quantitative trait loci 
mapping in Arabidopsis in 1997. Following a move to LGC Ltd after gradu-
ating, he has built his career in molecular biology, acting as the Principal 
Scientist for food authenticity testing, specialising in using and advising 
on advanced DNA approaches for food analysis at a national and interna-
tional level.

Food Chemistry, Function and Analysis No.16
DNA Techniques to Verify Food Authenticity: Applications in Food Fraud
Edited by Malcolm Burns, Lucy Foster and Michael Walker
© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2020
Published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, www.rsc.org
vii
viii Preface
Dr Lucy Foster [Institute of Food Safety and Technology (IFST) Fellow] 
trained as a food scientist, gaining her PhD in analytical and nutritional 
aspects of selenium deficiency in 1997. Following research roles at Unile-
ver (Colworth) and the Institute of Food Research (Norwich) she joined the 
Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food to work in food authenticity,  
and subsequently the Food Standards Agency to lead work in a variety of 
roles, including food additives and foodborne disease policy and running 
food science research and surveillance programmes. Following a move 
to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) 
in 2009 to lead agriculture and food chain research, she currently heads 
Defra's Agri- Food Chain Directorate's teams on food science, innovation, 
GM and genetic resources policy.
Dr Michael Walker is a Chartered Chemist and Fellow of both the IFST and 
the Royal Society of Chemistry, and holds the MChemA, the statutory qualifi-
cation to act as a Public Analyst in the UK. He owns a thriving chemico-l egal 
private practice, and is also Referee Analyst and Head of the Office of the 
Government Chemist in the UK National Measurement Laboratory hosted in 
LGC, a member of the European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, 
and a member of the IFST Scientific Committee. He was a subject matter 
expert to the UK ‘Elliott Review’ in the aftermath of the horse meat scandal 
and was a founder board member of the UK Food Standards Agency.
We have worked together over many years on food authenticity issues, but 
it was the horse meat incident in 2013 which threw us together in a unique 
way to deal with a variety of analytical challenges to meet the needs of gov-
ernment, industry and food law enforcers and consumers. This resulted in 
new ways of thinking about metrology, quantitative DNA analysis for food 
analysis, how this affects food law enforcement and gaps in understand-
ing around some of the challenges using DNA applications. These gaps  
included ensuring fitness for purpose, harmonisation and standardisation of 
DNA methods. The incident also highlighted the need for greater awareness- 
raising of the existing and emerging analytical tools that are available to the 
wider community, as well as the potential for genomic approaches in the 
future as a tool for detecting food fraud. Discussions during a Government 
Chemist conference dinner in 2016 crystallised the concept for a book to 
address these issues.
This book provides, we trust, a valuable resource for learning more about 
the scope, application, benefits and pitfalls associated with DNA- based tech-
niques in one comprehensive volume. It is unique in that it gathers a wide 
array of internationally recognised scientists, all experts in their fields of 
study, to provide authorship on topical and cutting- edge perspectives for 
food authenticity testing as well as providing insight into requirements for 
the future.
The book is aimed at those who wish to understand the fundamental 
principles of the application of the DNA- based approaches in the laboratory 
environment, those who are already practicing the techniques but wish to 
further refine their skill sets, and those who wish to learn more about the
Preface ix
new and emerging techniques for food authenticity testing based on genomic 
approaches on the horizon. As such, we hope that the book will appeal to 
the food industry, official control laboratories, researchers, and students and 
experienced practitioners alike.
As editors we are indebted to all the chapter authors who have given up 
their valuable time and expertise to share their knowledge. They have worked 
with us enthusiastically to provide unparalleled breadth and depth of discus-
sion. We would also like to thank colleagues in the Molecular Biology team at  
LGC and Defra's Food Science team, and Professor Sir Ian Boyd (Chief  
Scientific Advisor, Defra) for their contributions, support and encouragement
One of us (MB) also gratefully acknowledges funding from the UK Depart-
ment for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) as part of the Gov-
ernment Chemist Programme 2017–2020, and another (LF) acknowledges 
support from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural affairs 
to provide the freedom to allow work on this book alongside our day jobs. 
Opinions expressed in the book remain entirely our own.
On a personal note, we would like to mention and thank our spouses 
(Sarah, Tony and Maria) and our families for their support and encourage-
ment; they have graciously tolerated long hours over many months during 
which we were preoccupied working on the book.
Malcolm Burns, Lucy Foster and Michael Walker