TRACE - Tracing Food Commodities in Europe

Natural tracers such as trace elements, ratios of heavy (geo) and light (bio) isotopes and genetic markers will be measured to determine geographical, species and production origin. Geo and bioclimatic mapping will be undertaken to extrapolate geographical origin and reduce the need for commodity specific databases. Post genomic technology will create rapid and sensitive methods for species identification. Profiling methods will be used to identify markers, to characterise food products and facilitate cost effective screening methods. The project will focus on meat, cereals, honey, olive oil and mineral water. Particular attention will be paid to commodities labelled as "Designated Origin" and "Organic". The European Virtual Institute for Chemometrics will develop novel specifications obtained from analytical data, which will characterise these foods. TRACE will develop and draft standardised XML 'request-response' schemes for coding and electronic information exchange and establish "Good Trace ability Practice". An electronic information platform incorporating verifiable specifications and thresholds will be developed. This will permit objective verification of origin and enable rapid and cost effective product withdrawal. The new systems will be demonstrated and benchmarked in the 5 chosen chains, and the cost/benefit determined. Consumer scientists will investigate perceptions and attitudes to towards the "ability-to-trace food" through a pan European consumer study. A multi-tiered interactive information system will be developed for communication both within the project and for external use by industry, consumers and regulatory bodies. Research workers, control agencies and industry will be educated in the new methods, procedures and systems via short term secondments, workshops.

<P>For more information about this project, please visit the <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/research/biosociety/food_quality/projects/052_en.ht…; target="_blank">European Commission Food Quality and Safety in Europe</a> Web site.