Origin verification

Source Certain verifies origin and sourcing data via scientific analysis of physical products. Using trusted scientific methods, we can determine if your physical product matches its digital or paper-based origin information.

Source Certain relies on a powerful combination of stable isotope ratio analysis (SIRA) and trace element analysis (TEA) to deliver a superior validation result compared to providers using only SIRA.

We verify your product, not your packaging.

Traditional tracing methods, including packaging, barcodes, and labels supported by digital systems, are not enough to guarantee products’ traceability to origin in global supply chains. Their traceability is limited to where a label was first applied, and they are susceptible to being tampered with.

Our service provides scientific proof that a product is consistent with its claimed origin. This, in turn, validates other vital information associated with your product, like third-party certifications and ESG claims.

Origin verification is an essential layer in traceability systems and offers assurance in reportable sourcing data. Our service applies to all food and resource industries.

• Protect brand reputation and validate the integrity of product claims.
• Validate important sourcing data to enable accurate ESG and sustainability reporting.
• Enhance data collection and minimise sourcing risks.

We have been providing accurate and reliable outcomes for clients around the world using stable isotope ratio analysis (SIRA) and trace element analysis (TEA), to prove that the information shared about their products is accurate or to identify exposure to common supply chain risks:

• Food fraud, false claims, illegal sourcing from deforested land, product substitution, sislabelling, contamination claims, product adulteration

• Sourcing data from suppliers (i.e. digital or paper-based certificates of origin, invoices, and shipping documents).
• Made in/Produced in/Product of claims.
• GPS and polygon origin data supporting deforestation-free commitments and EUDR compliance.

• We organise the collection of reference samples of the product from their known harvest locations (origin).
• We analyse these reference samples in our lab using TEA and SIRA to determine a unique ‘reference fingerprint’ for each discrete location.
• We test your product sold at retail or collected at specific points in the supply chain to check if it matches the reference fingerprints.
• If they don’t match, a sourcing issue may be present and require further investigation.

Our scalable and cost-effective service is available worldwide and can accommodate small producers with a handful of production sites through to large corporations or industry groups sourcing from hundreds of production sites.

Our pre-analysis support includes a discovery phase to understand our client organisation, supply chain structure, challenges, and stakeholders.

Our post-analysis support includes expert advice on how to drive action, communicate and/or leverage analysis outcomes.

With vast quantities of SKUs, sourcing locations, and global logistics, there is a higher risk of products being mislabeled, counterfeited, or substituted in the supply chain. Origin information captured in chain of custody data is exposed to more risk of being intentionally or unintentionally manipulated. Scientific verification of the physical products being received and sold on the shelf can verify the sourcing information your team receives from suppliers and reports on to ensure the products are coming exactly from where they claim.

The origin of a product connects to Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) commitments and claims delivered at harvest origin, including:

• Sustainable sourcing, deforestation-free supply chains, environmentally friendly production, slave-free labour, or organic farming methods.
• Origin verification validates critical origin information relevant to reporting on SDG and ESG-based sourcing goals.
• Reduce ESG risk by verifying your sourcing data to support reporting on sustainability, confirm deforestation-free sourcing and support modern slavery commitments.
• Regulators and stakeholders increasingly require more information about the origin of products for companies to meet their due diligence requirements, such as the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). For this reason, it is essential to implement a scientific service that provides evidence-based data for precise sourcing locations.

Managing brand reputation requires accurate information sharing with stakeholders, including customers and investors. Origin information is leveraged in marketing and is vital to accurate reporting against SDG and sustainable sourcing goals. It builds consumer trust and influences purchasing behaviour. If the origin information these activities are based on is inaccurate or false, there can be reputational damage, loss of social license, or accusations of greenwashing.

Enhancing data collection and minimises risk of misreporting

• Enhance your data collection process to enable more robust reporting on material sourcing. Our data can support due diligence requirements and chain of custody records.
• Origin verification is an accurate tool for determining whether materials have been sourced from a region with known deforestation issues, sanctions, or tariffs.
• Our scientific service adds a layer of security and diversification to otherwise all-digital traceability systems.

Producers invest resources into practices that deliver a premium product to market. From sustainable land and fishery management to organic farming practices and licenced varieties, these investments of time and money are put at risk in complex export markets where boutique and premium produce (like beef, seafood and cherries) are targets of food fraud. Origin verification of a client’s physical product purchased in the export market can ensure that a substituted low-value product is not being sold under their brand and the value of their investment is maintained. Read about our work with Reid Fruits Cherries for a real-life example.