Abstract Detail



Phylogenomics

Hunter, Elizabeth [1], Literman, Robert [2], Handy, Sara [3].

Red gold or corn silk? Detecting economic adulteration in the world’s most expensive spice: saffron.

Crocus sativus is the source of the world’s most expensive spice: saffron. This “red gold” retails for up to $5,000 per pound, with nearly 500 tons produced annually. Saffron is traditionally harvested by hand, and each flower produces only three stigmas, or threads, of saffron. It is used as a key ingredient in many traditional foods, a dye for fabric, and a therapeutic to treat conditions ranging from depression to obesity. The labor-intensive harvest, low yield per plant, and high global demand for saffron has created a perfect storm for economic adulteration and substitution. Corn silk, safflower, calendula, beet, silk fibers, marigold, turmeric, paprika, pomegranate, colorants from gardenia, meat tissue, and even plastic have all been found in saffron intended for consumption. Here, we analyzed whether genome skimming via next generation sequencing is a viable method for detection of different adulterants in saffron, using a combination of known spiked samples, and consumer samples purchased from various commercial sources. We compare the impacts of different bioinformatic programs (Kraken2, Centrifuge), databases (chloroplast, nuclear), and varying percentages of common adulterants (corn, gardenia, safflower) on the identifications made. We found that some adulterants, such as corn and safflower, are effectively detected with metagenomic binning programs using nuclear databases. However, quantification of the adulterant and a lower limit of detection requires a more tailored approach. We hope to use this information to pursue a validation of a next generation sequencing method to both to authenticate saffron and to detect the most common botanical adulterants of saffron.


1 - US Food and Drug Administration, 5001 Campus Dr, College Park, MD, 20740, USA
2 - US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, HFS-717, 5001 Campus Dr., College Park, MD, 20740, USA
3 - HFS-717, 5001 Campus Dr., College Park, MD, 20740, United States

Keywords:
saffron
genome skimming
adulteration
economic adulteration
genomics.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Number: PHYLO I010
Abstract ID:143
Candidate for Awards:None


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