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Two alternative and cutting-edge approaches will be compared for their ability to accurately and reproducibly quantify the components of Basmati rice mixtures. In association with School of Biosciences, Nottingham, competitive polymerase chain reaction using molecular beacons will be employed to analyse Basmati rice mixtures. Concurrently to this, the recently introduced technique of quantitative single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), which offers rapid automated analysis of large numbers of samples, will be evaluated. The two procedures will be employed on a comparative basis to survey commercial Basmati rice samples obtained from the retail and catering industries. A comparison of the two methods will be made primarily for accuracy, speed and unit cost in relation to commercial testing.
Previous work funded by MAFF (Project AN0676: The Development of Isotopic Analysis and DNA Polymorphic Markers to Determine the Geographical and Cultivar Origin of Premium Long Grain Rice) has shown that products currently being sold in the UK as Basmati rice frequently consist of mixtures of Basmati rice adulterated with non-Basmati rice varieties, which are of less economic value. This raises important issues in terms of consumer protection and the collection of import duties. There is currently considerable interest within the rice industry, especially among importers, caterers and retailers in the UK, in quantifying the composition of such mixtures.
<p>Find more about this project and other FSA food safety-related projects at the <a href="http://www.food.gov.uk/science/research/" target="_blank">Food Standards Agency Research webpage</a>.