M. Cravero, J. Ruelle, S. Bindschedler, S. Emler, P. Junier. Journal of Food Science, Volume 89, Issue 8, pages 4745-4757. First published on July 2, 2024.
We’re happy to share a new publication from our collaborators at the Laboratory of Microbiology of the University of Neuchâtel. The article highlights the effectiveness of SmartGene's Centroid-based approach in combating food fraud.
Food fraud is a big challenge in the food industry, and morel mushrooms are no exception. Traditional methods to identify true morels often lack accuracy. Using SmartGene's proprietary, curated reference databases, the authors achieved an impressive 83% accuracy in identifying morel species, compared to just 36% and 47% using traditional tools.
Citation: "… The Centroid-based approach embedded in SmartGene's IDNS cloud software ... provides users with an easy-to-use tool for nonspecialists to identify species of the genus Morchella. Given its simple use, it could be of interest for routine laboratories (e.g., of the food industry), food distributors, or public surveillance agencies to assure food authenticity to avoid fraud with highly priced mushrooms such as morels (e.g., wild vs. cultivated morels, local vs. imported morels). In addition, the Centroid-based approach could provide a rapid tool to verify the taxonomic status of Morchella taxa. ... "
SmartGene's technology doesn't just enable accurate identification of the organism being tested by the lab; it also revealed incorrect taxonomic annotations in commercial cultivars found in public databases. Our solution, integrated into the IDNS® software, makes it easy for food industry professionals, including routine labs, food distributors, and public surveillance agencies, to identify true morels with minimal expertise.
We’re proud to see our SaaS bioinformatics software playing a key role in ensuring the quality and authenticity of morel products in the market.
Article link: https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.17219.