{"title":"Metabolomics for tea authentication and fraud detection: Recent applications and future directions","authors":"Hui Ru Tan , Weibiao Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2024.104558","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>With 86.2% of tea production in Asia, teas consumed in other parts of the world are usually imported. The intricacies of the supply chain make tea vulnerable to fraudulent activities, highlighting the importance of ensuring authenticity and detecting fraud committed in teas. Conventionally, tea authentication is done by sensory evaluation. Moreover, the standardised chemical analysis techniques used for the evaluation of tea quality and authenticity are laborious. Thus, metabolomics, particularly the non-targeted metabolic fingerprinting approach, has been increasingly applied for high throughput authentication of tea.</p></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><p>A brief overview of the metabolomics approach is provided. Then, this review delves into recent applications (i.e., from 2017 to 2023) of metabolomics to detect fraud committed in the form of mislabelling, substitution adulteration, and artificial enhancement. It concludes with future directions that could be undertaken.</p></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusion</h3><p>Targeted and non-targeted metabolomics were found to be largely successful in authenticating tea and detecting fraud. There is a growing interest in the use of non-targeted fingerprinting approach using rapid, non-destructive, and easy-to-use analytical platforms (e.g., vibrational spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging). These techniques provide the possibility for high-throughput, large-scale, and point-of-site screening of teas. Nonetheless, more work on building a reliable database of chemical fingerprints/profiles for future authentication efforts and developing a tier-based approach for a confident confirmation of fraudulent activity perpetrated in tea is needed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":15.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224424002346","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
With 86.2% of tea production in Asia, teas consumed in other parts of the world are usually imported. The intricacies of the supply chain make tea vulnerable to fraudulent activities, highlighting the importance of ensuring authenticity and detecting fraud committed in teas. Conventionally, tea authentication is done by sensory evaluation. Moreover, the standardised chemical analysis techniques used for the evaluation of tea quality and authenticity are laborious. Thus, metabolomics, particularly the non-targeted metabolic fingerprinting approach, has been increasingly applied for high throughput authentication of tea.
Scope and approach
A brief overview of the metabolomics approach is provided. Then, this review delves into recent applications (i.e., from 2017 to 2023) of metabolomics to detect fraud committed in the form of mislabelling, substitution adulteration, and artificial enhancement. It concludes with future directions that could be undertaken.
Key findings and conclusion
Targeted and non-targeted metabolomics were found to be largely successful in authenticating tea and detecting fraud. There is a growing interest in the use of non-targeted fingerprinting approach using rapid, non-destructive, and easy-to-use analytical platforms (e.g., vibrational spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging). These techniques provide the possibility for high-throughput, large-scale, and point-of-site screening of teas. Nonetheless, more work on building a reliable database of chemical fingerprints/profiles for future authentication efforts and developing a tier-based approach for a confident confirmation of fraudulent activity perpetrated in tea is needed.
期刊介绍:
Trends in Food Science & Technology is a prestigious international journal that specializes in peer-reviewed articles covering the latest advancements in technology, food science, and human nutrition. It serves as a bridge between specialized primary journals and general trade magazines, providing readable and scientifically rigorous reviews and commentaries on current research developments and their potential applications in the food industry.
Unlike traditional journals, Trends in Food Science & Technology does not publish original research papers. Instead, it focuses on critical and comprehensive reviews to offer valuable insights for professionals in the field. By bringing together cutting-edge research and industry applications, this journal plays a vital role in disseminating knowledge and facilitating advancements in the food science and technology sector.