Can the Authenticity of Products be Proved by Plant Substances?

Abstract

The market for organic produce is growing since consumers lost confidence in conventional food products in view of food scandals in the EU. There is thus an urgent need for suitable methods that can be used to demonstrate the authenticity of organic produce. In addition, consumers expect health benefits from organic products. For that the question of secondary plant compounds has been intensively discussed. Whether produce from organic farming results in higher content of health-related substances has been examined in several studies but no clear evidence was found. Secondary plant compounds may also be used in authentication of organic products. In this literature review various factors which may influence the content of carotenoids and polyphenols as two important classes of secondary metabolites in carrots are evaluated. For polyphenols in carrots there is a lack of studies apart from the influence of the variety. It has been shown that variety and environmental factors, like climate and soil, have greater influence on the carotenoid content than cultivation related factors such as fertilization and weed control. In organic farming, more intensive attempts are required to select location-and production-related varieties. Without inclusion of these factors, which are not covered in the EU regulations, an authenticity test of organic produce using secondary plant compounds seems not possible. Further research is needed on basis of large data sets to test, whether the use of multivariate statistical methods could be a practical approach to the routine analysis.

Multi‐method comparison of carrot quality from a conventional and three organic cropping systems with increasing levels of nutrient recycling

“…Generally, increasing the amount of nitrogen fertiliser supplied to carrots raises their carotene content,32 although some exception has been reported 33. The results from studies comparing different fertilisation methods (organic and conventional) are not conclusive 34. In the literature it is possible to find studies indicating that organic carrots have a lower carotenoid content than conventional ones 35, 36.…”

How to understand the complexity of product quality and the challenges in differentiating between organically and conventionally grown products—exemplified by fresh and heat-processed carrots (Daucus carota L.)

“…Authenticity of organic carrots and processed products, as opposed to conventional ones, may thus be secured by regulation and control of the production process. However, it is still open to question whether authenticity can be established by testing product samples (Woese et al 1997;Heaton 2001;Mäder et al 2007;Rembialkowska 2007;Siderer et al 2005;Roose et al 2010).…”