Wood identification of charcoal with Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy

Wood identification of barbecue charcoal from commercial packages of three retailers (B1, B2, B3) in Slovenia and Croatia was performed with help of Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). CLSM enabled us to image key identification features of charcoal wood that were compared with light micrographs of wood from the reference collection. Product B1 contained charcoal made exclusively of beech wood (Fagus sylvatica) and the declaration indicated the address of the producer, in Serbia which allowed traceability of the wood. The selection of wood species in product B2, consisted of red oak (Quercus cerris or Q. rubra), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and cherry (Prunus avium), which could originate from Serbia, and it did not contain tropical wood as stated on the package. Product B3 contained wood from at least four (sub)topical species which could not be exactly identified to species/genus level. The declaration on the product did not allow traceability of wood. As the risks of illegal logging are high for wood of (sub)tropical origin, our results support the initiative that the monitoring of the charcoal trade should be covered by the EUTR - European Timber Regulations.