Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Ratios of Food and Beverage in Brazil.

Luiz A Martinelli,Edmar A Mazzi,Geraldo Arruda Junior,Taciana F Gomes,Fabiana C Fracassi,Sarah H Lima,Fabio J V Costa,Adibe L Abdalla Filho,Eduardo Mariano,Plinio B Camargo,Juliana G G Oliveira,Maria A Z Perez,Gabriela B Nardoto,Paulo J Duarte-Neto,Isadora S Ottani,Marcelo Z Moreira,Amin Soltangheisi

doi:10.3390/molecules25061457

Abstract

Several previous studies on targeted food items using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in Brazil have revealed that many of the items investigated are adulterated; mislabeled or even fraud. Here, we present the first Brazilian isotopic baseline assessment that can be used not only in future forensic cases involving food authenticity, but also in human forensic anthropology studies. The δ13C and δ15N were determined in 1245 food items and 374 beverages; most of them made in Brazil. The average δ13C and δ15N of C3 plants were −26.7 ± 1.5‰, and 3.9 ± 3.9‰, respectively, while the average δ13C and δ15N of C4 plants were −11.5 ± 0.8‰ and 4.6 ± 2.6‰, respectively. The δ13C and δ15N of plant-based processed foods were −21.8 ± 4.8‰ and 3.9 ± 2.7‰, respectively. The average δ13C and δ15N of meat, including beef, poultry, pork and lamb were -16.6 ± 4.7‰, and 5.2 ± 2.6‰, respectively, while the δ13C and δ15N of animal-based processed foods were −17.9 ± 3.3‰ and 3.3 ± 3.5‰, respectively. The average δ13C of beverages, including beer and wine was −22.5 ± 3.1‰. We verified that C-C4 constitutes a large proportion of fresh meat, dairy products, as well as animal and plant-based processed foods. The reasons behind this high proportion will be addressed in this study.

Highlights

Rapid industrialization and urbanization together with changes in lifestyles are among the factors responsible for changes in eating habits, especially the consumption of highly processed foods [1]
We developed the first Brazilian baseline assessment using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of about one thousand food items considered essential to test the above hypothesis
There were some plants which follow the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), such as pineapple (Ananas comosus L.), and their δ13 C is intermediate between C3 and C4 plants (Figure 1a)

Summary

Introduction

Rapid industrialization and urbanization together with changes in lifestyles are among the factors responsible for changes in eating habits, especially the consumption of highly processed foods [1]. The access, mainly by urban populations, to an immense variety of processed food products triggered the so-called “supermarket era” [2]. Diversification as a marketing strategy has resulted in a vast range of food products in the last two decades. Brazil is one of the world’s main food consumers which makes the country a vast market for food fraud and adulteration through the large quantity of foods produced, exported, or imported [4]. As well as their respective by-products, were involved in some food fraud and adulteration [4].

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Results

Conclusion