How to Check Food Fraud using Analytical Chemistry ✍️
The increment of fake food products in the market and grocery stores cannot be overemphasized, the health and other implications are too numerous to mention, but then, What is food fraud? It is intentional tampering with the quality of food by processing industries. This can include diluting a products with cheaper ingredients, often motivated by economic gain. It is also adulteration to misrepresent the appearent quality of a food products. E.g red dyes in Palm oil . The big question is how do regulatory agencies like NAFDAC and SON check the originality of any food product in the market?
⚫ Through Isotope ratio
Regulatory bodies can compare the Isotopes of an authentic food to a questionable food products using Forensic Isotope Radio Mass Spectrometry ( FIRMS ). Variation from the standard isotopic radio indicate food fraud... Okay!!!
⚫ Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
The machine identify unique structural components in the food's molecular structure. It can differentiate between vegetable fat and milk fat.
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