Posted 05/08/2024

In today’s interconnected world, ensuring the authenticity and traceability of products is more critical than ever. Whether it’s food, pharmaceuticals, or luxury goods, consumers and regulators alike demand transparency and reliability in supply chains. This is where digital traceability systems come into play, leveraging technology to track and document the journey of products from origin to final destination. However, while these systems offer numerous benefits, they can be further strengthened through the integration of scientific origin verification.

The Importance of Digital Traceability

Digital traceability systems are designed to provide a reliable method of tracing the movement of products, from raw materials to final sale. They have superseded unreliable paper-based methods and provide tactile proof of documentation and data generated by the complex journey products take through global supply chains. While digital traceability systems are important, they are not infallible.

  1. Data can be manipulated, and without robust verification, the integrity of the entire traceability system can be compromised.
  2. Supply chain risks like product fraud and substitution are reduced with robust digital traceability systems in place but not entirely eradicated.
  3. They are only capable of tracing back to the point at which a label or tracking device is first applied (i.e. packhouse or warehouse), which does not provide coverage of the earliest stages in a raw material’s life cycle (harvest origin).
  4. Digital traceability systems rely heavily on accurate data entry at every stage of the supply chain. Human error or deliberate falsification can lead to incomplete or inaccurate data, undermining the system’s reliability.

This is where scientific origin verification comes in.

What is Scientific Origin Verification?

Scientific origin verification involves using advanced scientific techniques to authenticate the origin of a product. They analyse a physical product sample at a laboratory independent of all labels, packaging and data. These techniques can include:

Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis (SIRA): This scientific method determines the geographical origin of a product based on the unique isotopic signature of elements within it. It is widely used in ecology, climate science, biogeochemistry, hydrology, forensic science, anthropology and atmospheric chemistry. SIRA databases offer useful data that enhance the accuracy and robustness of providing an origin verification outcome.

Trace Element Analysis (TEA): TEA involves the identification and quantification of trace levels of elements present in a physical product sample to verify its origin. These elements are absorbed into products, like food and timber, from their surrounding environment including the underlying geology and water. For this reason, the combination of these elements is unique to their environmental origin, making their analysis critical to being able to determine where products came from. This type of analysis uses various instrumentation techniques, such as mass spectrometry, atomic absorption spectroscopy, and atomic emission spectroscopy, to detect and measure elements at parts-per-million (ppm) and parts-per-billion (ppb) levels.

By integrating these methods with digital traceability systems, we can significantly enhance their robustness and reliability.

Strengthening Digital Traceability

1. Enhanced Authenticity Verification

Scientific origin verification provides an additional layer of authenticity that digital systems alone cannot offer. For example, a combination of TEA and SIRA can verify the specific geographical origin of wine, ensuring that a bottle labelled as originating from “Margaret River” truly comes from the Margaret River region in Western Australia. Source Certain’s advanced interpretation methods can refine origin even further to the vineyard level. This not only helps to protect consumers but also safeguards the reputation and investments made by brands and regions.

2. Improved Fraud Protection

Combining scientific techniques with digital records can make it much harder for counterfeiters to deceive the system. Even if digital records are manipulated, the underlying scientific evidence remains difficult to forge. The intrinsic isotopic and trace element markers cannot be manipulated like a label to force an origin outcome. This dual-layered approach can drastically reduce the incidence of fraud in the supply chain.

3. Increased Consumer Confidence

When consumers know that products have been verified using rigorous scientific methods, their confidence in those products increases. This is particularly true for high-value products that are also at high risk for counterfeiting, like premium seafood, horticulture and wine. This can lead to higher brand loyalty and a greater willingness to pay a premium for guaranteed authenticity and quality.

4. Regulatory Compliance and Due Diligence

Regulatory bodies are increasingly demanding more stringent verification of product origins. By integrating evidence-based data provided by a scientific origin verification service within digital traceability systems, companies can ensure they meet regulatory requirements and avoid costly penalties or recalls. This proactive approach also supports regulatory efforts to maintain market integrity and public safety.

Applications

Food Industry: Most food items have claims specific to their harvest origin, making it essential to have a solution in place capable of verifying that specific location to ensure the reliability of claims like ‘deforestation-free’, ‘slavery-free’, ‘organic’, or ‘sustainable’.
Pharmaceuticals: In the pharmaceutical industry, ensuring the authenticity and traceability of raw materials and finished products is vital for patient safety. Chemical profiling can verify the source of ingredients, helping to prevent counterfeit drugs from entering the market.
Luxury Goods: Origin verification can protect brands from sourcing risks (conflict diamonds or inadvertently purchasing from sanctioned regions) and reassure consumers of the authenticity of their purchases for luxury items like diamonds and designer handbags. Scientific methods can verify the origin of materials and ensure that high-value items are genuine.
Fashion: Origin verification can ensure cotton is not sourced from regions notorious for worker rights abuse. SIRA paired with TEA provides specific origin verification for cotton products, even after the material has gone through various processing stages and validates third party certifications.
Furniture and timer: Deforestation is being tackled in the EU via stringent new EUDR sourcing regulations requiring specific plantation location data for forestry or forestry-derived products. Scientific origin verification of products provides validation of satellite and GPS data required as part of the due diligence process. It is also one of the techniques that authorities may use to check if products entering the EU market match their GPS credentials, which is why it is recommended that companies do these checks themselves first.

Incorporating scientific origin verification into digital traceability systems represents a significant advancement in the fight against fraud, counterfeiting, and quality issues in supply chains. By leveraging the power of science, we can create more robust, reliable, and trustworthy systems that protect consumers, support regulatory efforts, and enhance brand integrity. As technology continues to evolve, the integration of these scientific methods will become increasingly important, setting a new standard for traceability and authenticity in the digital age.

Our experts have been operating in the origin verification space for over a decade. We use trusted scientific methods to deliver real origin results for our customers. Talk to one of our experts today and learn how we can protect your product and reputation.

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