News
Our policy: Agroisolab is always available in conferences and media. Therefore, we have decided in our NEWS only to publish important and relevant information in the current year.
April 2025
Agroisolab analysed a large number of disposable wooden cutlery on behalf of the WWF. The results were surprising. The majority of the disposable cutlery showed typical stable isotopic signatures for an origin from Russia: In Baumärkten und Einmalbestecken: Russland schmuggelt illegales Holz nach Deutschland – und verdient damit Milliarden - FOCUS online
This underlines how isotopic methods can be used as a powerful tool to trace the declared origin of wood-based products – especially in light of increasing concerns around illegal logging and mislabelled timber.
February 2025
Trace Element Analysis in Tomato Products – Limits and Considerations
In recent discussions around the origin verification of tomato-based products, trace element analysis (TEA) has gained attention as a potential tool. While TEA can offer valuable insights in certain contexts, it is important to be aware of the method’s significant limitations when it comes to reliably verifying geographic origin – particularly in processed food products.
Trace element signatures are influenced by a wide range of factors beyond geographic origin, including:
- Degree of ripeness: riper tomatoes generally contain higher concentrations of certain elements.
- Cultivation practices: fertilisation, irrigation and other agricultural methods can change the trace element concentration.
- Even the tomato variety and size show different concentrations of trace elements.
- Climatic events: heavy rainfall or draught can alter the trace element profiles.
These influences make the reliable use of trace elements considerably more difficult and lead to an ad-hoc analysis, i.e. the database can only be used at a specific point in time.
Additionally, during processing – including washing, blanching, heating, concentration, or contact with metal containers – external sources can introduce or alter trace element levels. This can mask the original natural signature, making the interpretation more complex.
Due to these factors, TEA should be regarded as a supplementary tool rather than a standalone method for origin verification. In our experience stable isotope analysis provides a more robust and reliable approach, especially for processed products.
July 2024
Agroisolab has terminated the cooperation contract with Agroisolab UK
Agroisolab UK Ltd. was an independent sales organisation in UK for us allowed to use our protected brand name “Agroisolab”. As Agroisolab UK Ltd. did not have the capability to measure stable isotopes, all measurements were carried out by Agroisolab GmbH in our accredited laboratory in Jülich, Germany.
Any UK customer can now use our service directly.
March 2024
Our groundbreaking work on the development of a database on the origin of European wood has now been published: “A framework for tracing timber following the Ukraine invasion”
In this groundbreaking study, Agroisolab was able to prove its outstanding potential with the methods it has developed. So, th evaluation and statistics were carried out independently of Agroisolab proving that even regional differentiation of timber is possible
We are delighted that Agroisolab has now set the standard for determining the origin of timber.
January 2024
Agroisolab is certified as an energy-efficient company in accordance with DIN 16247-1, which characterizes our commitment to using energy resources as sparingly as possible, e.g. for more than 2 years, photovoltaics has been used as an additional energy supply for the laboratory.
