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In a world of rapidly globalizing food markets, biodiversity, authenticity, and the safety of food products have become a universal concern. DNA barcoding is a widely used molecular-based method that can identify biological material and is used for the traceability of both raw materials and ingredients in processed food. In the present study, contacted within the framework of the BioValue Horizon Project, which promotes the role of agrobiodiversity in sustainable food systems, DNA barcoding using the ITS and rbcL markers was employed as a proof-of-concept approach to reveal the biodiversity and authenticity of ten commercial plant-based products. Following successful DNA amplification and sequencing using six products as a proof-of-concept, a diverse range of plant genera and species were identified, verifying biodiversity. A strong correlation between ITS and rbcL-based markers was demonstrated, supporting their combined use for reliable species-level biodiversity assessment. Finally, heat map analysis of label contents and sequencing-based genera identification confirmed high concordance between label claims and sequencing results in most cases, though undeclared species and absent labeled taxa were also detected, highlighting potential mislabeling or cross-contamination.
Details
DNA sequencing;
Authenticity;
Labels;
Agricultural production;
Food products;
Biological materials;
Domestication;
Ingredients;
Identification;
Materials traceability;
Biodiversity;
Mixed cropping;
Food supply;
Crops;
Raw materials;
Ribosomal DNA;
Food processing;
Genetic diversity;
Climate change;
Genetic testing;
Food;
Processed foods;
Gene sequencing;
Plant-based foods;
DNA barcoding;
Descriptive labeling;
Deoxyribonucleic acid--DNA;
Supply chains;
Sustainable food systems;
Food safety;
Food contamination;
Morphology;
Agrobiodiversity;
Legumes
; Nikoloudakis Nikolaos 1
; Tisseyre Cyril 2 ; Knez Marija 3
; Barilli Eleonora 4
; Mattas Konstadinos 5
; Katsiotis Andreas 1
1 Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, 3603 Limassol, Cyprus; [email protected]
2 ECOZEPT France SAS, Le Barcelone, Bât. 12, 145 Rue Guillaume Janvier, FR-34070 Montpellier, France; [email protected]
3 Capacity Development in Nutrition, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; [email protected], Center of Research Excellence in Nutrition and Metabolism, Group for Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
4 Solintagro SL, Calle Escritora Rosa Chacel 4 Local 2, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; [email protected]
5 Department of Agricultural Economics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; [email protected]