Abstract
Dairy products occupy a special place among foods in contributing to a major part of our nutritional requirements, while also being prone to fraud. Hence, the verification of the authenticity of dairy products is of prime importance. Multiple stable isotopic studies have been undertaken that demonstrate the efficacy of this approach for the authentication of foodstuffs. However, the authentication of dairy products for geographic origin has been a challenge due to the complex interactions of geological and climatic drivers. This study applies stable isotope measurements of δ2H, δ18O, δ13C and δ15N values from casein to investigate the inherent geo-climatic variation across dairy farms from the South and North Islands of New Zealand. The stable isotopic ratios were measured for casein samples which had been separated from freeze-dried whole milk samples. As uniform feeding and fertilizer practices were applied throughout the sampling period, the subtropical (North Island) and temperate (South Island) climates were reflected in the variation of δ13C and δ15N. However, highly correlated δ2H and δ18O (r = 0.62, p = 6.64 × 10−10, α = 0.05) values did not differentiate climatic variation between Islands, but rather topographical locations. The highlight was the strong influence of δ15N towards explaining climatic variability, which could be important for further discussion.
Highlights
Milk is a significant part of the global diet and demand across the international food market is continually increasing [1]
Of note is the study by Crittenden et al [7], which demonstrated the possibility of identifying the geographical origin of milk in Australasia using multi-element stable isotope ratio analysis
The charts show the variability of casein isotope measurements (δ2 H, δ15 N, δ18 O and δ13 C) between
Summary
Milk is a significant part of the global diet and demand across the international food market is continually increasing [1]. As a result, determining the authenticity and origin of dairy products is vital for ensuring food safety in export markets and the global food trade. Several studies have discussed defining the origin of milk products using stable isotopic ratio analyses [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. Of note is the study by Crittenden et al [7], which demonstrated the possibility of identifying the geographical origin of milk in Australasia using multi-element stable isotope ratio analysis
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
