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<p>The historical significance of saffron as a condiment has persisted through the ages, in part because of the widespread applications of this product in diverse industrial sectors like food, cosmetics, textiles, dyes, drugs, and flavorings. Because of this demand and its relative rarity, materials labeled as saffron often contain impurities or contaminating materials. However, current protocols for evaluation of the quality of saffron based on traditional ISO standards are costly and complex. The present research aims to implement new methods that go beyond current protocols to more easily assess the quality of saffron in collections and to estimate the amount of counterfeit material that might be found in these collections. This study involved the analysis of 93 samples of saffron to gauge quality and purity through the use of a new, multifaceted approach combining DNA barcoding, image analysis, and morphometric assessment to create an economical but holistic understanding of saffron authenticity. This study also highlights the significant gap between saffron production and demand in areas such as India which has resulted in substantial imports and the potential for market manipulation. In this regard, we found that a significant portion of saffron samples collected from the market, approximately 38.7%, contained counterfeit or impure materials. The novel testing method we have developed in this study is low-cost and can be used without complex instrumentation to effectively verify saffron authenticity and quality. This will facilitate the use of on-site market testing, protection of consumer rights, and promotion of fair trade within the saffron industry.</p>

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New tools and methods for saffron quality assessment

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月23日

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  • Gulab Khedkar,
  • Vikram Khilare,
  • Rajshree Deolalikar,
  • Bharathi Prakash,
  • Amol Kalyankar,
  • Shankar Mutkule,
  • Nitin Kalyankar,
  • Chandraprakash Khedkar,
  • Raveendranathanpillai Sanil,
  • Anil Kumar Puniya,
  • Arya Khedkar,
  • Hemalatha Modugapalem

摘要

The historical significance of saffron as a condiment has persisted through the ages, in part because of the widespread applications of this product in diverse industrial sectors like food, cosmetics, textiles, dyes, drugs, and flavorings. Because of this demand and its relative rarity, materials labeled as saffron often contain impurities or contaminating materials. However, current protocols for evaluation of the quality of saffron based on traditional ISO standards are costly and complex. The present research aims to implement new methods that go beyond current protocols to more easily assess the quality of saffron in collections and to estimate the amount of counterfeit material that might be found in these collections. This study involved the analysis of 93 samples of saffron to gauge quality and purity through the use of a new, multifaceted approach combining DNA barcoding, image analysis, and morphometric assessment to create an economical but holistic understanding of saffron authenticity. This study also highlights the significant gap between saffron production and demand in areas such as India which has resulted in substantial imports and the potential for market manipulation. In this regard, we found that a significant portion of saffron samples collected from the market, approximately 38.7%, contained counterfeit or impure materials. The novel testing method we have developed in this study is low-cost and can be used without complex instrumentation to effectively verify saffron authenticity and quality. This will facilitate the use of on-site market testing, protection of consumer rights, and promotion of fair trade within the saffron industry.