Through a joint effort, the two companies have developed a highly advanced chemical fingerprinting analysis method based stable isotope ratios. The first markets to be offered evidence-based transparency based on this new analysis tool will be the seafood market and the dietary supplement market, where the method already has been tested and validated. To verify if a salmon product is organic or not seems to be a popular application so far, based on feedback from pilot testing with commercial partners.
The background for the collaboration is the increasing demand for a reliable traceability documentation for consumer products. To be able to document and prove the origin of certain products is becoming more and more critical as modern consumers demand transparency and evidence for product label claims.
– We see that this increasing demand is especially expressed for seafood products where the origin is of extra importance for consumers. These are products where it is very challenging to determine if the claims made on the product label are correct or not. One example is organic salmon products, where many consumers are worried that the products they are buying are, in fact, not organic. We can now provide them with the ultimate evidence; a laboratory test performed by an independent third party,
says Svein Erik Haugmo, CEO of ORIVO, and adds that omega-3 concentrates is another group of products that can be authenticated:
– Omega-3 concentrates make up a big part of the omega-3 products on the market today. Until now, it has been impossible to determine the origin of these products through a direct laboratory analysis. With this new tool and a strong database of reference samples from the most common fish oil sources, we can now expand our current authentication services for natural omega-3 products to the entire market.
Haugmo is also proud to announce the strategic collaboration with Imprint Analytics GmbH from Austria:
– Imprint is a global leader within stable isotope analyses and authentication of food products. With Imprint´s competence on board, ORIVO aims to deliver the best and most precise stable isotope-based testing and certification services to the global seafood and omega-3 market.
Imprint will be both a highly competent R&D partner and a professional high-throughput laboratory for ORIVO´s running operations. Imprint´s Chief Business Officer, David Psomiadis, is looking forward to the ORIVO collaboration:
– Recent studies show that it is becoming harder to attract the attention of the consumer through product claims due to rising distrust. So what could be more effective than providing authenticity verification evidence? In this context, the execution of an authentication programme could be used for brand protection in more than one sense, enabling companies to maintain, strengthen, or even regain consumer trust in their products. Our common principles and vision with ORIVO in providing complete testing, verification and certification services to the seafood industry secures reliable and trustworthy evidence-based traceability tools. These tools are now available to help food operators safeguard responsible sourcing, sustainability protocols and ESG strategic corporate policies.
Psomiadis highlights the importance of working with experts in their field:
– We strongly believe that collaborating with experts secures high-value verification products. Our collaboration with ORIVO aims exactly to this direction: ORIVO’s experience and market position in the seafood certification business is a key to make this venture successful as well as of utmost use for the industry.
The two companies report that the first commercial assignments based on this new and revolutionary testing have already been successfully delivered to a handful of pilot customers, and that the service now will be offered to the entire market.
