Picarro's Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) instruments offer a revolutionary combination of ease of use, low cost, and high precision - a combination that makes it possible to put in place robust molecular level food verification procedures throughout the supply chain, from farm to fork. CRDS can also be used to verify bioplastic percentages in food packaging products that blend bioplastics and petroplastics. Some key benefits of using Picarro's CRDS isotopic analyzer systems for bioplastics measurements, and for food origin and authenticity verification, include:
- 5x to 10x reductions in cost per sample over existing sample methods
- Easy self-installation, minimal training to operate
- Proven stable isotope measurement methodology
- Autosampler for fast throughput, unattended testing
- Compact size, portable - benchtop system can function in a lab or on a factory floor
- Low maintenance - few moving parts, infrequent calibration
- Ruggedized - drop and vibration tested, handles wide temperature and humidity swings
- Field tested by one of world's largest consumer companies
- Growing test method and application library includes honey, olive oil, fruit juice, milk, chocolate, corn syrup adulteration
Picarro has partnered with IsoForensics (www.isoforensics.com) to build the world's first Milk Origin Verification Solution (MOVS). Founded by leading experts in isotope research and backed by colleagues at Purdue University, IsoForensics is the industry leader in the field of mapping stable isotope ratios of regional food and water supplies. Each part of the country and the world has a unique stable isotope signature comprising ratios of varied oxygen, and hydrogen isotopes. Data from Picarro's liquid water isotope analyzer is collected using a verified IsoForensics method and then compared against IsoForensics' database to provide confidence rating on the product's claimed point of origin.
In addition, Picarro's' Combustion Module-CRDS (CM-CRDS) system can be used to trace adulteration through carbon isotopes. Different types of plants process carbon isotopes to create differentiated signatures that can be read by Picarro's analyzer. For example, adulterating higher priced sweeteners (maple syrup, honey) with corn syrup changes the isotopic signature of food. In 10 minutes Picarro's Combustion Module can burn a small sample of the food and measure the isotope ratios in the resulting carbon dioxide gas, producing strong evidence proving or disproving adulteration.