Services

The Department of Agricultural Sciences at University of Naples Federico II is located at the historical Palace of Portici nestled at the foothill of Mt. Vesuvius. The department aims to deliver solutions to all agriculture and food-based challenges ranging from farm to fork with dedicated scientific and empirical research and sustainable technologies. The department houses the FASQ (Food Authenticity, Safety and Quality) infrastructure with three major installations:

1. Infrared spectroscopy laboratory,

2. Laboratory for Multielement Analysis (LAM),

3. Stable Isotope laboratory.

The FASQ has successfully completed national and EU projects on quality and traceability of high-value food products such as PGI lemons, PDO tomatoes, PDO asparagus and PDO pistachio, south Italian potatoes and Mediterranean seafood. FASQ laboratories have also analyzed non-food samples (soil, mosses, plant materials etc.) for European projects (e.g. METROFOOD-EU, EU-LIFE ECOREMED, H2020 LANDSUPPORT, etc.) for their successful fulfillment. FASQ laboratories have also provided external services to institutes from Spain (CNTA, San Adrian), Tunisia (INSTM, Tunisia) and Canada (UQAT, Université du Québec, Canada) for building reliable and robust food traceability and quality models.

The FASQ infrastructure incorporates three analytical laboratories:

1. Infrared spectroscopy laboratory including advanced Perkin Elmer FT-IR with NIRA (Near Infrared Reflectance Accessory),

2. LAM including Thermo Fisher ICP-MS/ICP-OES/TQ-ICP-MS,

3. Stable isotope laboratory including Thermo Fisher IRMS.

NIR spectral analysis performed on FT-IR can give in-depth composition of both solid and liquid food/feed samples with high accuracy. All quantitative and qualitative information is recorded in a detailed spectra with high resolution. ICP systems with OES and MS detectors can give detailed geochemical information about 43 nutritional, toxic & potentially toxic elements. TQ-ICP-MS in addition provides composition of rare-earths, trace and ultra-trace elements, instrumental for food/feed safety and food traceability. Levels and speciation of toxic elements like arsenic, chromium, and mercury can also be performed with TQ-ICP coupled with liquid chromatography, which is instrumental in defining the actual toxicity of these metals. Additionally, methodologies for estimation of other elements (not included in the original 43 analyses by TQ-ICP-MS) can be developed (for example, iodine) as per user needs. IRMS applied for estimation of stable isotope can successfully estimate δ13C and δ15N values with high degree of accuracy, and is an integral tool for seafood and feed quality.

The laboratory also hosts a CHNS analyzer separately (without IRMS) which can give accurate levels of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulphur in the food matrix. We also have dedicated personnel to handle the instruments and the laboratory comes equipped with instruments needed for general pre-processing of food samples (lyophiliser, pulveriser, cold storage, etc.) and for mineral digestion. Apart from analytical expertise about running the instruments, our team provides experienced input about the experimental set-up (defined by the requirements and information provided by the user), method standardization for all analytical measurements, data cleaning, data processing and chemometric interpretation of results using traditional univariate and multivariate techniques.

The FASQ laboratories at UNINA offer a comprehensive study of food composition, quality, and traceability aided by NIR spectra, geochemical composition, and stable isotope ratios. These are the three of the most established, cost efficient and reliable methods of food traceability for seafood with possibility for being applied in the market. Depending on the needs of the user, one or more methods can be applied to determine fish (seafood) and feed quality. The lab is also equipped with instruments needed for general pre-processing of food samples, such as lyophiliser, pulveriser, cold storage, etc., and a microwave mineral digestor for ICP analysis.

Support offered

FASQ laboratory has more than 10 years of experience in food traceability and quality. The user can take advantage of the human capital at our research group for designing the experiment, defining the sampling methodology (it’s a crucial part of any food authenticity/traceability study) and standardisation of methodology for NIR, ICP and IRMS, depending on the sample type, size, and the need of the user. Our group is also proficient in handling the large amounts of data that comes with traceability and authenticity study. Additional support can be provided in data cleaning, pre-treatment, univariate analysis, and multivariate & regression modelling using traditional statistical software, as per user requirement.

Modality of access

FASQ will provide trans-national (physical) access to its services for direct analysis of food samples at the laboratory by the users. For trans-national access, the user will be trained and guided by the laboratory technician at FASQ. Remote access is also possible for users willing to ship samples under appropriate conditions. A user is expected to spend 5-7 weeks at FASQ, depending on the sample pretreatment, technique(s) and the number of samples. Access will also include sample pre-treatment (if needed), experimental design, method standardisation, actual estimation, and data analysis.