Detecting Contaminants with Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis
Stable Isotope
Ratio Analysis is also known as SIRA testing. It is a
method of analytical testing that is used to detect contaminants in samples like maple, juice, and honey.
Stable isotope ratio analysis testing applications quantify and detect unknown compounds in samples by
analyzing and measuring samples’ expected rare isotope ratio. With stable isotope ratio analysis, additives
can be identified in samples by measuring the difference in their rare isotope ratio. The chemical compounds
that are found in C4 plants such as corn, sorghum, and sugarcane have carbons of about -10, whereas most
flowering plants, also known as C3 plants, have a different carbon ratio of about -25. A mass spectroscopy
machine, used to execute a stable isotope ratio analysis, measures the ratio of a rare isotope (carbon-13)
and compares the result to a common isotope (carbon-12). The mass spectroscopy machine then plots the
samples’ ions along with a graph, with spikes indicating the specific components that make up the sample and
their relative abundance. The higher the spike, the more abundant the ion is relative to the
sample.
Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis with Siratech
Siratech’s accredited
laboratory specializes in stable isotope ratio analysis and is dedicated to offering accurate, rapid
analysis to its’ customers. Using stable isotope ratio analysis, Siratech helps customers identify
adulteration in honey, CBD, maple, and juice samples by detecting C4 sugars like corn, cane, or sorghum. A
product particularly vulnerable to adulteration is honey because there are strong financial incentives among
some bad actors to increase profit margins by stretching honey with cheaper syrups. An inexpensive carbon stable isotope ratio analysis
with Siratech can quickly tell customers if their honey samples have been grossly
adulterated.
Located, just south of Austin, Siratech provides customers over twenty years’ experience
performing stable isotope ratio analysis. Ready to start testing with Siratech? Click here to get started.
