CHAPTER 2: Forensic DNA – Criminal and Paternity Methods and Applications – How Can This Help in Verifying Food Authenticity?¹

Forensic methods for criminal DNA and paternity testing are well established in many commercial forensic laboratories and institutions across the globe. There are multiple ways to obtain experimental results and also different ways to interpret the findings. Food authenticity evaluation using DNA is becoming a larger area of science, however, it is often overshadowed by its human DNA counterpart. Quality is a key indicator for providing a robust and reliable methodical system where documented evidence can be presented and fairly reviewed for any criminal proceedings and can be applied to both areas. Areas within forensic science, including criminal DNA testing and paternity testing, are heavily regulated. Here, we present a useful evaluation to raise key forensic requirements and documentation recording methods to help maintain chain of custody, the differences and gaps observed between the disciplines and how we can learn from this area and apply best practice to food authenticity testing.