Installation of the state-of-the-art equipment for testing the authenticity of honey, olive oil and wine in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Federal Agro-Mediterranean Institute Mostar has put into use the Elemental Analyzer – Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (EA-IRMS) – the new laboratory equipment for testing the authenticity of honey, olive oil and wine. Funded from the Budget of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the total value of the procured equipment is 1.8 million BAM.

Laboratory equipment EA-IRMS refers to a complex analytical system that is used for the isotope analysis of stable isotopes in food products for verification of authenticity and detection of counterfeits. EA-IRMS (Elemental Analyzer – Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry) thermally decomposes a sample (honey, olive oil, wine), converting it into simple gases.

An isotope ratio spectrometry measures ratios of stable isotopes. These ratios provide an “isotopic fingerprint” of a product, which can be used for distinguishing between natural and added sugar in wine or honey, detection of mixing of olive oil with cheaper oils, determination of geographic origin, and detection of adulteration and counterfeiting.

EA-IRMS is crucial for authenticity control because the isotope composition cannot be easily falsified as it also reflects climate conditions, food source and production method. In many developed countries, this equipment is a standard in national laboratories, customs and food quality control institutes.

Federal Minister of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry Kemal Hrnjić pointed out that this was an investment in producers and the reputation of domestic food, and that the Government is investing efforts in protecting local producers.

“Authenticity and quality must be at the core of our development. This system allows us to create fair market conditions, protect hard-working beekeepers, olive growers and winegrowers, and to verify that products from the Federation of BiH can stand shoulder to shoulder with Europe’s best. In doing so, we seek to stamp out adulterated honey, olive oil and wine products”, said Minister Hrnjić, and called on representatives of inspection bodies, as well as competent state institutions that carry out sampling of imports into Bosnia and Herzegovina, to use this equipment.

The new equipment is the highest standard in the analysis of food authenticity and is a major step forward for producers themselves – beekeepers, olive growers and winemakers. Thanks to accurate isotopic determination of authenticity, local producers get a reliable mechanism to protect their original and high-quality products on the market. The analyses made possible by EA-IRMS prevent the sale of counterfeits that bring down the price and damage the reputation of true producers, thereby strengthening consumer confidence and opening up opportunities for better marketing of domestic products, both on local and international markets. This technology also provides producers with clear, science-based validation of the quality and origin of their honey, olive oils and wines, representing an important tool in the process of branding and protecting local products originating in the Federation of BiH.