Product origin verification

Typical exposures include food authenticity fraud, false claims, illegal sourcing linked to deforestation, substitution, mislabelling and adulteration. Scientific verification adds an evidence layer to digital traceability data to minimise misreporting risk.

Not necessarily. The goal isn’t to test more products – it’s to better manage risk. Not every product carries the same level of commercial risk, and not every product needs the same level of verification.

We work with you to understand your priorities and where an incorrect sourcing decision could have the greatest impact. From there, we recommend the level of verification needed to balance cost with commercial risk, ensuring your investment is focused where it will have the greatest impact.

Most organisations already have robust supplier assurance programmes. Origin verification isn’t about replacing those processes; it’s about closing the gap between what your supply chain documentation says and what the product itself can verify.

As supply chains become more complex, origin verification is becoming an increasingly important part of due diligence. Rather than replacing your existing procurement and due diligence processes, it provides an independent layer of evidence that strengthens them, giving you greater confidence in sourcing decisions and helping you identify issues before they become commercial or reputational problems.

An unexpected result doesn’t automatically indicate fraud. It highlights the need for further investigation and provides organisations with objective evidence to review supplier information, verify sourcing records and take appropriate action before issues escalate.

We verify product origin claims such as “Made in,” “Produced in,” and “Product of.” These claims are typically supported by supplier documentation, including certificates of origin, invoices and shipping records.

Our programmes can also verify GPS coordinates and polygon-based sourcing information against the physical product, supporting due diligence, deforestation-free sourcing commitments and regulations such as EUDR.

Our programmes support a wide range of agricultural, food, natural resource and manufactured products, including timber, seafood, coffee, horticulture, gold and other high-value supply chains.

Many products can still be scientifically verified after significant processing or transformation. Depending on the product, this can include engineered timber products such as LVL and plywood, paper and pulp products, processed foods, textiles and dyed fabrics, and refined natural resources.

If you’re unsure whether your product is suitable for origin verification, our team can assess your use case and recommend the most appropriate approach.

Yes. Samples can typically be collected from production, processing, distribution, retail or export markets.

This flexibility allows organisations to verify origin at critical points in the supply chain and identify where substitution, mislabelling or unauthorised sourcing may have occurred.

Origin verification is most valuable where product origin affects purchasing decisions, regulatory obligations, sustainability claims, market access or brand value.
If your organisation relies on supplier declarations or origin claims to make important business decisions, scientific verification can provide additional confidence by independently validating that information.Origin verification is most valuable where product origin affects purchasing decisions, regulatory obligations, sustainability claims, market access or brand value.
If your organisation relies on supplier declarations or origin claims to make important business decisions, scientific verification can provide additional confidence by independently validating that information.

Most organisations are surprised to learn they don’t need to test every product or supplier.

Some products, suppliers and sourcing locations carry much more risk than others. Rather than testing every product in your supply chain, we work with you to identify where verification will have the greatest value and design a programme around those priorities.

This targeted approach helps keep programmes practical, scalable and more affordable than many organisations expect.

After an initial discussion, we’ll recommend the most appropriate approach and provide a clear proposal outlining the scope, timelines and investment required.

Implementation depends on the type of programme and the products being verified.
Some verification programmes can begin quickly using existing reference datasets, while others involve developing a dedicated reference database specific to your supply chain. We’ll discuss the most suitable approach during an initial consultation.