York scientists launch food authentication scheme to prevent another ‘horsegate’

This month will see the launch of a revolutionary scientific technique for verifying the authenticity of a wide range of foods in Yorkshire before being rolled out worldwide.

Stable Isotope Reference Analysis (SIRA), which has a background in forensic science and archeology, uses laboratory analysis to test the declared origin of food and is being launched commercially in York with legal support from Harrowells Solicitors.

The new company delivering the service is Agroisolab UK, a subsidiary of Longhand Data Ltd, York, which has been working for eight years with German company, Agroisolab GmbH, to develop SIRA as a high-volume method of accurately and cost-effectively testing the country of origin for a wide range of meat and grocery products, including all agricultural produce, such as pork, beef, eggs, vegetables and fruit, which have either been grazed or grown on the land.

Along with six staff, including two scientists and, with its German counterpart, Agroisolab UK will test up to 200 samples a week.

The ‘horse-gate’ food scandal, which hit British supermarkets three years ago, focused the attention of retailers on being able to irrefutably confirm the nature of the products they buy.

Agroisolab UK and Agroisolab GmbH will deliver SIRA authentication by measuring naturally-occurring stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, sulphur and strontium, which are found in all living things and have ratios, which are virtually site specific.

Following the adoption of the European Union Food Information Regulation 1069/2011 (FIR), EU countries face stricter mandatory country of origin labelling (COOL) requirements including, for meat products, the rearing period and place of slaughter and food processors and retailers can face significant fines for breaches.

Legal work by Harrowells included putting shareholder arrangements in place for the new company, involving negotiations with Agroisolab GmbH and creating agency and transitional services agreements as the service is rolled out worldwide.

Roger Young, the Longhand Data Ltd managing director, said: “When we buy meat or other products, we have a legal right to know that what we are buying is correctly labelled. To knowingly misrepresent or give false declaration of origin, can be a criminal offence. Involving the law often means that the retailer and supplier end up in court which is hugely damaging to customer confidence and their brand values.

“The ‘horse-gate’ scandal showed that paperwork can be fooled. Laboratory analysis to authenticate the origin of food is accurate, hard to subvert, faster and more cost-effective than conventional traceability processes.

“We already have major industry bodies such as The British Pig Executive (BPEX), part of the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB), signed up. We also have a contract with Associated Beef Producers (ABP) and are well on the way to building the biggest UK beef database. We are contracted to two of the five major supermarkets.

“Harrowells Solicitors has been fantastic in helping us to manage a complex set of existing relationships and new agreements into the new commercial context, in a very tight time frame.

Susie Mortonson, Harrowells partner, who carried out the Agroisolab UK work with regulatory specialist, Matthew Rowley, added: “Agroioslab is set to deliver huge benefits to the global food sector and consumers. We’re pleased to have been involved with such a significant development, especially as we already have a major presence in the regional agriculture sector.”

Harrowells Solicitors offers a wide range of legal services to commercial, farming and private clients. The firm has three offices in York and others in Pocklington, Easingwold and Thirsk.