Geographical traceability of gelatin in China using stable isotope ratio analysis

Shuang Li; Di Jiang; Jinglin Li; Yuhua Ma; Jian Yao; Lin Du; Yisheng Xu; Yuan Qian

doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1116049

Geographical traceability of gelatin in China using stable isotope ratio analysis

Front Nutr. 2023 Feb 16:10:1116049. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1116049. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Shuang Li^{1

2}, Di Jiang², Jinglin Li³, Yuhua Ma³, Jian Yao², Lin Du², Yisheng Xu¹, Yuan Qian²

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
² Department of Molten Salt Chemistry and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
³ Department of Tritium Science and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

Geographical traceability is crucial to the quality and safety control of gelatin. However, currently, methods for gelatin traceability have not been established anywhere in the world. This study aimed to investigate the possibility of differentiating the geographical origins of gelatin from different regions in China using stable isotope technology. To achieve this objective, 47 bovine stick bone samples from three different regions (Inner Mongolia, Shandong, and Guangxi, respectively) in China were collected, and gelatin was extracted from these bones using the enzymatic method. The fingerprint characteristics of stable isotopes of δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, and δ²H of gelatin from different regions in China were studied. Moreover, isotopic changes from the bone to gelatin during the processing were examined to evaluate the effectiveness of these factors as origin indicators. The results of the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, and δ²H of gelatin from different regions display significant differences, and using the linear discriminant analysis (LDA), the correct differentiation of origin reached 97.9%. Certain differences in stable isotope ratios were observed during the processing of bone to gelatin samples. Nonetheless, the fractionation effect caused by the processing of bone to gelatin samples was not sufficient to influence the identification of gelatin from different origins, which proves that δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, and δ²H are effective origin indicators of gelatin. In conclusion, the stable isotope ratio analysis combined with the chemometric analysis can be used as a reliable tool for identifying gelatin traceability.

Keywords: bone; gelatin; geographical traceability; processing; stable isotope ratios.

Grants and funding

This study received funding from the Nuclear Energy Development Program Crop Varietal Improvement and Insect Pests Control by Nuclear Radiation of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND), People's Republic of China (PRC).