26 research outputs found
Geochemical caper fingerprints as a tool for geographical origin identification
The identification of geographical origin
of food products is important for both consumers and
producers to ensure quality and avoid label falsifications.
The caper plant (Capparis spinosa L., Brassicales
Capparidaceae), a xerophytic shrub common in
the Mediterranean area, produces buds and fruits that
are commercialized in brine at high price. Those
grown in Italy in the Aeolian Islands are renowned for
their high quality. This study is aimed to establish a
correlation between the geological and geochemical
features of soil and the chemical composition of caper
buds grown in two Aeolian Islands, Lipari and Salina.
Major and trace elements were investigated by X-ray
fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma-mass
spectrometry in soil and caper samples from three
localities in Lipari and Salina, and data from the three
sites were compared by a nonparametric test, a
correlation test and multivariate statistics (principal
component analysis). The results allowed to
discriminate soils according to geolithological characteristics
of each area and detect a statistically
significant correspondence between soil and caper
samples for the elements Co, Fe, Mg and Rb,
identifying thus possible geochemical caper fingerprints
of origin. These results may also be useful to
protect the high quality of Aeolian caper products by a
suitable ‘‘Made in Italy’’ trademark and avoid falsifications
and frauds