Tag Archives: botanical

Susanne Kuehne, Decernis
Food Fraud Quick Bites

Not So Grape Expectations

By Susanne Kuehne
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Susanne Kuehne, Decernis
Grapeseed
Find records of fraud such as those discussed in this column and more in the Food Fraud Database. Image credit: Susanne Kuehne

Due to health benefits, grape seed extract has become more and more popular. Cheaper plant extracts, for example peanut skin extract, show very similar results with chromatographic methods, and therefore adulteration of grape seed extract may remain undetected. The American Botanical Council’s Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program released a laboratory guidance document that reviews analytical methods for detecting adulteration of grape seed extract with proanthocyanidin-rich extracts from other botanical sources.

Resource

  1. Kupina, S.A., et al. (2019). “Grape Seed Extract Laboratory Guidance Document”. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX.
Susanne Kuehne, Decernis
Food Fraud Quick Bites

Sweet Things, Adulterated

By Susanne Kuehne
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Susanne Kuehne, Decernis
Food fraud, lavendar, honey
Find records of fraud such as those discussed in this column and more in the Food Fraud Database.
Image credit: Susanne Kuehne.

Honey is a popular item for adulteration, and honey with a specific botanical source is seen as a more valuable product. The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority took samples of organic Spanish lavender honey in a Czech supermarket, and analyzed the pollen. The analysis showed that the honey was from alternative botanical sources and certainly not lavender.

Resources

  1. Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (May 2, 2019). “Med z mořské levandule BIO tekutý”.