Ensuring Food Integrity by Metrology and FAIR Data Principles

• Published in: Frontiers in chemistry Vol. 6; p. 49
• Main Authors: Rychlik, Michael, Zappa, Giovanna, Añorga, Larraitz, Belc, Nastasia, Castanheira, Isabel, Donard, Olivier F X, Kouřimská, Lenka, Ogrinc, Nives, Ocké, Marga C, Presser, Karl, Zoani, Claudia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media 22.05.2018; Frontiers Media S.A
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; Chemical Sciences; Chemistry; food authenticity; Food engineering; food fraud; food safety; Life Sciences; METROFOOD-RI; metrological traceability; reference materials; food safety; metrological traceability; reference materials; Horizon 2020; food authenticity; food fraud; METROFOOD-RI; research infrastructures; Food fraud; Reference materials; Food safety; Food authenticity; Metrological traceability
• ISSN: 2296-2646; 2296-2646
• DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2018.00049

Food integrity is a general term for sound, nutritive, healthy, tasty, safe, authentic, traceable, as well as ethically, safely, environment-friendly, and sustainably produced foods. In order to verify these properties, analytical methods with a higher degree of accuracy, sensitivity, standardization and harmonization and a harmonized system for their application in analytical laboratories are required. In this view, metrology offers the opportunity to achieve these goals. In this perspective article the current global challenges in food analysis and the principles of metrology to fill these gaps are presented. Therefore, the pan-European project METROFOOD-RI within the framework of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) was developed to establish a strategy to allow reliable and comparable analytical measurements in foods along the whole process line starting from primary producers until consumers and to make all data according to the FAIR data principles. The initiative currently consists of 48 partners from 18 European Countries and concluded its "Early Phase" as research infrastructure by organizing its future structure and presenting a proof of concept by preparing, distributing and comprehensively analyzing three candidate Reference Materials (rice grain, rice flour, and oyster tissue) and establishing a system how to compile, process, and store the generated data and how to exchange, compare them and make them accessible in data bases.