Honey Fraud

RADIO NEW ZEALAND: 10-DEC, 2011
A recent US study showed that three-quarters of the honeys sampled had been ultra-filtered. Andrew Schneider of Food Safety News reports on what this means for consumers. So is honey being ultra-filtered here in New Zealand? We test 10 honeys from the supermarket with Dr Ian Raine of GNS Science and discuss the findings with Linda Croudis of Oritain Global, and Russell Frew of the University of Otago
Honey Fraud (Interview with Linda Croudis starts at 12:24)

Consumers Have Lost Trust in Food Supply Chain

RADIO NEW ZEALAND: 2-NOV, 2011
Radio New Zealand Rural Morning News - Interview with Dr Helen Darling
Consumers Have Lost Trust in Food Supply Chain (Starts at 02:06)

Vault Set Up to Keep NZ Honey Safe

Otago Daily Times: 22-OCT, 2011
By Shawn McAvinue
A Dunedin company's vault of collected honey samples is set to protect against potential honey-laundering.

Oritain is the only New Zealand company that traces the origin of honey from the hive to the supermarket shelf.

Read the complete Article...

Scientist's Move to City Right Formula

Otago Daily Times: 10-OCT, 2011
By Sally Rae
By moving to Dunedin, internationally renowned scientist Dr Jurian Hoogewerff says he has combined good science with a good lifestyle.

Dr Hoogewerff has been appointed chief scientist at Oritain Global, the Dunedin-based company with global links that independently and scientifically certifies the origin of food.

Read the complete Article...

Further Testing helps Protect Manuka Honey Consumers

Media Release: 5-OCT, 2011
Press Release: UMF Honey Association
Consumers of Manuka honey can be assured the product they buy is unadulterated, with the UMF Honey Association (UMFHA) adding to their international testing regime.

In partnership with food origin leader Oritain, UMFHA have taken a proactive approach by developing an additional test that will detect adulteration of Manuka honey with any artificial ingredient.

UMFHA's General Manager John Rawcliffe, says these tests will provide an unprecedented level of protection for both the Manuka honey industry and "NZ Inc".

The detection of any artificial substance that mimics test results for the unique Manuka activity underpins the internationally recognised Non-Peroxide Activity (NPA) standard, says Rawcliffe.

Oritain Operations Manager Linda Croudis said the test will be available in New Zealand and internationally and will enable prosecutions against those trying to market adulterated Manuka honey to consumers.

"We are pleased to be working with UMFHA to proactively protect both the consumer and the $100 million New Zealand Manuka honey industry."

Food Verification Goes Global

Otago Daily Times: 8-AUG, 2011
By Sally Rae
Talk to Dr Helen Darling about deviousness in the global food industry and prepare to have your eyes opened. From an estimated 44,000 dying each year from fake vodka in Russia to cheap cuts of pork being dyed and chemically treated to sell as beef in China and "Scotch" whisky being produced in China and India - she has heard it all. "There's so much mislabelling and fraud that happens in food," she said.

Dr Darling is chief executive of Oritain Global Ltd, a Dunedin-based company with global links that is pioneering commercial food origin systems - independently and scientifically certifying the origin of food.

Read the complete Article...

World Leading Forensic Scientists Join Oritain Science Board

Media Release: 20-JUN, 2011
Oritain is thrilled to announce the expansion of our science board. The newest members are:
Professor José Almirall
     • Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami
     • Director, International Forensic Research Institute
     • Director, Trace Evidence Analysis Facility
Dr Wolfram Meier-Augenstein
     • Visiting Professor in Stable Isotope Forensics at the Robert Gordon University (Aberdeen, UK)
     • Principal Scientist (Stable Isotopes) at the James Hutton Institute (JHI)
     • Head of Mylnefield Isotope Signatures
Professor Daniel A. Wunderlin
     • Full Professor Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina)
     • Principal Member of the National Research Council (Argentina)
     • Member of JECFA group FAO

The science advisory board is a distinguished group of the most respected food provenancing scientists in the world. The relationship of this board and the Oritain Board of Directors is officially between the CEO and the Chairman of the Science Board. This independent board meets from time to time to review Oritain's scientific processes and policies to ensure those methods are held to the very highest forensic standards. Scientifically determining origin is complex. Oritain's approach is to examine each opportunity and propose the most cost effective method and one that has been properly vetted with the best in the field of food provenancing.

Oritain Certified Wines at VinItaly

Together, Oritain CEO, Dr Helen Darling and Kurow Estate owner, Dr Antonio Pasquale are the first to present Oritain certified wines to the European market at VinItaly. VinItaly is the world's largest wine exhibition. Every year, four thousand exhibitors from around the world present their top production. Five days of major events attracting 153,000 sector professionals include technical tastings of wine and spirits, overviews of wine-making realities in various regions of Italy, an impressive convention programme embracing conferences, forums and seminars dealing with topics of major current interest that reveal the challenges and prospects for the future.

Identifying Strawberry Origins

THE STAR: 18-NOV, 2010
By: Bruce Munro
Fingerprinting rainwater inside strawberries will help distinguish genuine Waimate berries from fakes, Mike Darling of Oritain, says. Mr Darling is General Manager of Dunedin-based, global, point-of-origin certification company Oritain. Oritain is running cutting-edge tests on strawberries, including the first of this season's Waimate crop, to show growers can be provided proof of where they were grown.

Donald Butler, of Butler's berry Farm, in Waimate, said he and other local growers were hoping it could be used to protect the reputation of Waimate's strawberries. Mr Darling arranged to meet Mr Butler on Saturday after reading The Star article about hawkers misrepresenting the origin of Auckland strawberries. At that meeting, Mr Butler gave Mr Darling the first 30 strawberries of the season from his farm for Oritain scientists to use in profiling tests. "We're excited to be developing an interest with the strawberry growers of Waimate." Mr Darling said. "They're interested in developing a means of protecting their product. We'll profile their product to be able to compare it with strawberries from elsewhere in New Zealand."

Several tests will be run to find a unique "signature" for Waimate strawberries. The first would be an isotopic analysis of the water in the berries, Oritain's Dr Russell Few said. "The temperatures of the clouds (that) rainwater is formed in affects the ratio of heavy and light hydrogen in the rain drops." Dr Frew, who is also an associate professor in the University of Otago chemistry department, said. "That temperature varies with latitude. So, we distil the water from the strawberries and analyse it in an isotope ratio spectrometer. Then we can tell which part of the country the strawberries were grown in."

Mr Darling said Oritain was already providing proof of origin certification for Hawkes Bay export apples, was developing certification for Central Otago thyme honey producers, and had a number of projects overseas. No-one else in New Zealand was applying this science to providing point-of-origin certification, he said.

Oritain Launches Industry-wide Collaboration to Develop a Honey Vault

Media Release: 11-NOV, 2010
In order to understand New Zealand honey, it is necessary to assemble an authentic set of physical samples which have been collected and maintained according to very robust forensic standards. To meet this challenge, Oritain is developing the most authentic honey reference possible: the Honey Vault. Sponsors who join and participate may purchase a set of reference samples for their own scientific and marketing purposes.

Outcomes
The Honey Vault provides the opportunity to contribute to international research on honey, additionally it is intended that it will contribute to the development of standards, for example for monoflorality and bioactivity.

www.honeyvault.co.nz

Oritain Certified Wine Takes to the Skies

MEDIA RELEASE: 10-NOV, 2010
Today, Black Quail Estate's 2009 Pinot Noir was awarded the Air New Zealand Gold Medal in the 2010 Wine Awards Competition. The next time you find yourself in Air New Zealand Business Class, ask for a glass of Black Quail and have a look at the bottle. You'll find Oritain's certificate of origin mark.
Air New Zealand Wine Awards

Nine to Noon: Forensic Science and Food Provenancing

RADIO NEW ZEALAND: 18-OCT, 2010
Radio New Zealand's Kathryn Ryan interviews Dr Helen Darling (duration: 09:30)
Nine to Noon: Forensic Science and Food Provenancing (Starts at 00:00)

Radio New Zealand Interviews Conference Speakers

RADIO NEW ZEALAND: 23-JUL, 2010
Dr Jurian Hoogewerff (Chairman of Oritain's Science Board)  and Kiri McComb (University of Otago)
Midday Rural News (Starts at 4:56)

Morning Rural News : Interview with Dr Helen Darling

RADIO NEW ZEALAND: 21-JUL, 2010
Dr Helen Darling
Morning Rural News (Starts at 2:04)

UN-FAO and the US NCBA to speak at GoTrace

MEDIA RELEASE: 30-JUN, 2010
High-level representatives from the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation and the US National Cattlemen's Beef Association will join local scientists, food producers, retailers and consumer groups at the GoTrace Symposium —Te Papa, Wellington July 19-20. Registrations are still available.

"We're excited to have representatives of two critically important international organisations — ones that influence the way food is traded" said Dr Helen Darling, Chair of the Symposium. "This year's GoTrace symposium will have strong representation from the science, producer and regulatory sectors. It's vital to understand that origin and traceability are driven from consumer, food safety and trade perspectives. No conference would be complete without addressing each area."

Dr Elizabeth Parker, Chief Veterinarian, US National Cattlemen's Beef Association will provide a scientific perspective from one of the world's largest marketing and trade associations. The US-NCBA represents over one million cattle ranchers in America.

Joining Dr Parker will be Mr Modibo Traoré, Assistant Director-General in charge of Agriculture and Consumer Protection at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. Achieving food security for all is at the heart of efforts of the United Nations FAO. The FAO's mandate is to raise levels of nutrition, improve agricultural productivity, better the lives of rural populations and contribute to the growth of the world economy. Mr Traoré will address the FAO's involvement in traceability at a global level.

According to Dr Darling, "The involvement of both the FAO and NCBA underscore the importance of origin and traceability in global food production and trade". This symposium has been generously sponsored by Oritain, the University of Otago, DKSH, Westpac, GNS Science, Hill Laboratories and Industrial Research Ltd.

Collective Thyme Honey Profiling in Central Otago

MEDIA RELEASE: 25-FEB, 2010
The Lindis Honey Company (Bannockburn), Alpine Honey (Hawea), Necta Klectaz (Cromwell), and Company Bee (Galloway), together with Oritain, are profiling the unique characteristics of thyme honey in Central Otago. These characteristics allow the honey producers to be able to independently authenticate both floral type and geographical origin on their production.

Thyme honey samples from across the Central Otago Region are being collected, archived and analysed by Oritain. The scientific data generated will enable Oritain to establish a smart map that provides the participating growers with a point of difference for their thyme honey and enables them to identify their honey anywhere in the global food supply chain.

Oritain CEO represents NZ at the UN-FAO Private Sector in Milan

MEDIA RELEASE: 2-NOV, 2009
Dr Darling was among a distinguished group of industry leaders invited by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations to develop recommendations for eradicating insecurities in the global food supply chain. The purpose of this forum was to develop the framework of the Food Summit in Rome was held immediately afterwards (Nov 16-8).

Key topics of this global summit included:
Improving Productivity and Efficiency -- Planning and controlling production, quality and distribution are highly challenging tasks in the fragmented food systems found in most developing countries. Business leaders will share with us their views on priority actions to Improve operational efficiency, reduce costs and risks, and ensure the access of poor consumers to affordable food.
Sustainable Food Value Chains -- Business leaders will share with us the strategies and innovative approaches of their companies are using to develop food value chains and how the sustainable development of food value chains can contribute to eradicating food insecurity.
Policy Dialogue on Food Safety -- Business leaders will share their views on policy issues of concern to the private sector, contributions the private sector might make in policy dialogue, and mechanisms to reinforce public-private policy dialogue.
Private Sector Recommendations for the Food Summit -- A drafting team identified through consultation with invited business leaders and industry associations will present the draft statement they have developed and we will have an opportunity to consider and endorse.

See the list of Invited Speakers