A new European project has been set up to develop more efficient traceability systems for products and materials in the food chain.
The euro 19m project, called Trace, marries laboratory techniques, such as DNA profiling and stable isotope analysis -- used to verify the authenticity and origin of foodstuffs -- with computer-based traceability systems.
It is intended to help manufacturers protect premium brands and satisfy the new European Union (EU) traceability rules, by enabling companies to access information more rapidly.
Some 50 European organisations will be involved, including the Central Science Laboratory (CSL) in York and the Institute of Food Research in Norwich, making it one of the largest ever European food projects.
EU rules require food manufacturers to demonstrate complete traceability of all ingredients and products. While some larger companies have invested in analytical testing and computer systems, many smaller enterprises rely on paper-based trails that go one supplier up and one down the chain.
Paul Bereton, Trace co-ordinator at the CSL, said that over the next five years it would develop generic methods for tracing products across all sectors. "The idea is to develop cost-effective systems," he said.
Traceability is a big issue for companies wanting to protect premium branded products, such as basmati rice and olive oil. Bereton predicted that within 10 years consumers would press a button on a supermarket computer screen to discover where products came from.
An open meeting on the project will be held at CSL in York in April.