University of Copenhagen researchers have developed a new approach that helps public agencies and commercial interests combat fraudulently-labelled organic foods. It revolves around inspecting how organic plants are fertilised. The method provides a deeper, more accurate portrayal of whether eco-labelled produce is indeed organic. According to experts, imported organic fruits and vegetables are susceptible to food fraud.

Increased consumer demand and higher profits for producers has made organic foods susceptible to food fraud. Danish food controls are stringent and we are among the few European countries to have nationally controlled organic foods. However, controls vary in the food exporting nations from which many of our foods are sourced.

“While a major eco-labelling scandal has yet to occur in Denmark, we often forget that our diet is sourced globally, and that our foods are often imported from countries wher problems have been documented. For example, in southern Europe, wher a large quantity of organic fruits and vegetables are sourced," according to Assistant Professor Kristian Holst Laursen, who has been developing food fraud detection methods for the past decade.

Identifying pesticide residue
The current means of finding out whether an item is organic or not focuses on identifying pesticide residue. According to Kristian Holst Laursen, this method is far from secure. For example, the use of pesticides on a neighboring field or traces from former conventional production on a now organic field can taint crops. Moreover, the analysis of pesticide residues is unable to reveal whether all of the rules for organic production have been complied with, such as the absence of inorganic fertilisers.  

"Our method does not reveal whether pesticides have been used, but whether organic plants have been fertilised correctly. As such, the method complements existing analytical controls and, overall, provides a much more detailed picture of the growing history," explains Kristian Holst Laursen.