Determination of the Geographic Origin of Frozen Taro by Inorganic Analysis

Abstract

Food traceability systems are used to ensure food safety. The objective of this research was to develop a simple method to confirm the geographical authenticity of frozen taro. To characterize frozen taros according to their geographic origin and variety, 6 mineral and trace elements (Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn) were determined in frozentaro samples using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Mn, Cu, Ca and Mg concentration of frozen taro from China was higher than those from Japan. Liner discriminant analysis (LDA) was applied to discriminate the geographic origin between Japan and China. Using the established LDA model using 4 elements (Mn, Cu, Ca and Mg), 100% of samples were correctly determined. The results suggest that Chinese frozen taro could be distinguished from Japanese ones by determination of inorganic elements using AAS and by LDA using Microsoft Excel.