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Rice is one othe most consumed foods globally, and different subgroups of rice varieties have different sales values e.g. Basmati rice is much more expensive than non-Basmati long grained rice. This paper by Portuguese researchers reviews DNA-based methods because they are considered particularly reliable and stable for discrimination of rice varieties. The review covers the diversity of strategies and ongoing improvements already tested, highlighting important advantages and disadvantages in terms of costs, reliability, labour-effort and potential scalability for routine fraud detection.

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Greek researchers have evaluated using DNA markers SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism) and SSRs (simple sequence repeats) combined with high resolution melting (HRM) to authenticate monvarietal olive oils and the quantitative determination of adulteration with other plant oils (maize and sunflower oils). The SSR-HRM was more efficient in distinguishing monovarietal olive oils, while the SNP-HRM assay was more reliable in discriminating olive oil blends. HRM was also used for the detection of adulteration of olive oil with oils of different plant origin by using plastid trnL indels and SNPs. The trnL-indels-HRM showed higher discrimination power than the trnL-SNP-HRM in determining adulteration in olive oil. 

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This open access chapter reviews the current DNA approaches to authenticating olive oil by identification of the variety or the plant species from which it was extracted. The chapter examines the current trends and critical issues on DNA targeted approaches used for traceability and authenticity of olive oil in this rapidly expanding field.

Read the chapter at: DNA based methods for olive oil