The Inner Quality Concept for food, based on life processes

How can we adequately express the quality of food produced by organic agriculture? To answer this research question, we defined a concept of ‘inner quality’ (formerly called ‘vital quality’) based on the life processes growth and differentiation, and their integration. Growers use management methods to influence life processes in their crops, thus optimising the quality of the final product. Traders and consumers can recognise certain product properties as being the result of these life processes. Here, we present a course of validation for the quality concept, together with appropriate quality parameters. The process of validation has been completed in part for two experimental crops, apple and carrot. This quality concept can provide a holistic context for the interpretation of individual food quality parameters as developed by different laboratories

The origin and composition of carbonatite-derived carbonate-bearing fluorapatite deposits

Carbonate-bearing fluorapatite rocks occur at over 30 globally distributed carbonatite complexes and represent a substantial potential supply of phosphorus for the fertiliser industry. However, the process(es) involved in forming carbonate-bearing fluorapatite at some carbonatites remain equivocal, with both hydrothermal and weathering mechanisms inferred. In this contribution, we compare the paragenesis and trace element contents of carbonate-bearing fluorapatite rocks from the Kovdor, Sokli, Bukusu, Catalão I and Glenover carbonatites in order to further understand their origin, as well as to comment upon the concentration of elements that may be deleterious to fertiliser production. The paragenesis of apatite from each deposit is broadly equivalent, comprising residual magmatic grains overgrown by several different stages of carbonate-bearing fluorapatite. The first forms epitactic overgrowths on residual magmatic grains, followed by the formation of massive apatite which, in turn, is cross-cut by late euhedral and colloform apatite generations. Compositionally, the paragenetic sequence corresponds to a substantial decrease in the concentration of rare earth elements (REE), Sr, Na and Th, with an increase in U and Cd. The carbonate-bearing fluorapatite exhibits a negative Ce anomaly, attributed to oxic conditions in a surficial environment and, in combination with the textural and compositional commonality, supports a weathering origin for these rocks. Carbonate-bearing fluorapatite has Th contents which are several orders of magnitude lower than magmatic apatite grains, potentially making such apatite a more environmentally attractive feedstock for the fertiliser industry. Uranium and cadmium contents are higher in carbonate-bearing fluorapatite than magmatic carbonatite apatite, but are much lower than most marine phosphorites