Quality evaluation and origin traceability of the imported and domestic saffron spice (Crocus sativus L.) products in China market using chemical composition and stable isotope analysis

• Published in: Journal of food composition and analysis Vol. 118; p. 105202
• Main Authors: Zhi, Liu, Xianmei, Gao, Jian, Yang, Duoyong, Zhao, Bin, Li, Zihong, Zhang, Piao, Chen, Dongguang, Wang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01-05-2023
• Subjects: Authenticity; Chemical composition; Multivariate modeling; Saffron; Stable isotope ratio; Authenticity; Chemical composition; Saffron; Stable isotope ratio; Multivariate modeling
• ISSN: 0889-1575; 1096-0481
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2023.105202

Saffron spice, as a high value-added but not high-tech processed agricultural product, is easily faked and mislabeled its quality grade and origin for higher market profits and competitiveness. In this work, an analytical strategy combining chemical composition analysis and stable isotope ratio analysis of saffron spices was explored for verifying their quality and origin authenticity in China market. The crocins contents and stable isotope ratios of 70 saffron spice samples collected from five provinces of China and 95 imported products from Iran and Spain were determined together. The contents of crocins may be effective as the indexes of their quality evaluation but not for origin traceability. Relatively, regional difference of stable isotope ratios is significant (p < 0.05) between different origins. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) based on chemical compositions and stable isotope ratios of 165 saffron spice samples can identify imported products from Iran and Spain with the accuracies of 98.5 % and 100 %, but still may mis-discriminate samples from Henan and Xinjiang province of China as Iran products, which was further solved by PLS-DA of products from these origins. This strategy is promising as an effective tool for combating commercial frauds and ensuring the authenticity of saffron spice in China market.
•Quality assessment of saffron cannot effectively verify its geographical value.•Stable isotope ratios can be as the geographical indicators of saffron spice.•Modeling of stable isotope ratios aims to identify imported and domestic products.•PLS-DA discriminates the origin of saffron spice in China market with 90 % accuracy.•This strategy is able to ensure the origin authenticity of saffron spice in global trade.