organic eggs (2)

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This study looked at verification of egg production method from organic, free range, barn and caged produced eggs, all of which are defined in EU legislation. A total of 84 eggs were bought from local supermarkets in northern Spain (18 each of organic and free range eggs, and 24 each of barn and caged eggs). The egg contents were homogenised and centrifuged to separate the plasma from the granules, and the UV-VIS-NIR spectra of the plasma measured in a spectrophotometer, and different chemometric models applied to the spectra variables . As two samples were detected as outliers and removed, the 82 samples were divided into two groups: 62 for model calibration and 20 for validation. Spectra analysis with QDA (quadratic discriminant analysis) gave a higher accurate categorisation of the four production systems, with a sensitivity of 100% in the calibration set. The validation set scored 87.5% sensitivity and 94.07% specificity using the visible spectra. 

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Following Washington Post revelations casting doubt on the authenticity of the products from some of the largest "organic" producers of milkeggs and imported grains, Republican Senator John Faso is proposing a bill in Congress, which would effectively double the budget of the USDA's National Organic Program. The Bill would also call for the modernisation of the USDA system that tracks imports of purportedly "organic" foods, allowing organic inspectors to share investigative information across a supply chain. In addition the USDA would have to file an annual report to Congress detailing its organic investigations. It is hoped the Bill would restore consumer confidence in the USDA organic system, which covers a $47 billion industry.

Read the article at: US Organic Fraud

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