The Ruđer Bošković Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory for Bioanalytics (LaBA), in collaboration with the Croatian Veterinary Institute and the company Conscius, presented the final results of the “MetaPatvor – Metaproteomics of Counterfeit Foodstuffs” project in Zagreb. The project resulted in an innovative and unique methodology for the rapid and selective detection of counterfeits in food products, with Bolder participating in the project’s media promotion.
Food counterfeiting is most commonly carried out by mixing cheaper types of insect, fish, plant, or mammal tissues into more expensive declared products or by simply substituting a cheaper species for a more expensive one (e.g., declaring cheaper bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus as the significantly more expensive yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares). The nutritional value of such products is inadequate, and the product may also be hazardous to health.
An advanced computer program, based on research in artificial intelligence and expert bioinformatic systems, has successfully resolved all laboratory as well as industrial mixtures, which in most cases matched the declaration. This methodology will significantly shorten the analysis time for identifying counterfeits in food products, while achieving increased reliability of results.
