Multi-element analysis in cattle beef

• Grant number: 25/11340-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Nuclear Engineering - Applications of Radioisotopes
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Sergio Cardoso da Silva
• Grantee: Lorenzo Rabelo Longarço
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/12732-5 - Transparency in the Brazilian production chains of agricultural export commodities: a holistic study of elemental and isotopic fingerprints, AP.TEM

Abstract

Brazilian agribusiness has expanded in recent decades, with a greater share of gross domestic product and export revenues. Projections indicate the potential for further improvements with the growth of pulp, meat, soybean, corn, rice and cotton production. However, the country's agriculture is under economic, social and environmental pressure regarding sustainability, with deforestation being a central issue for maintaining the international competitiveness of agribusiness. Deforestation has been a recurring theme linked to commodity exports, especially in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes. In addition to the environmental impact caused by the exploitation of native wood, special attention has been given to livestock and soybeans due to concerns about deforestation caused by the expansion of production areas. To maintain the market position of these commodities, the government and stakeholders must act in favor of environmentally correct production, with transparency and traceability as key words, since some importing countries have established regulations to avoid products originating from deforested areas. Existing transparency and traceability mechanisms are based on agreements, inspections and information presented in paper or electronic documents, allowing room for deviations and fraudulent actions. The objective of this project is to develop technical means to authenticate the regional origin of Brazilian commodities based on direct measurement of isotopes and chemical elements. The research groups involved have considerable experience in studying the origin of food and agricultural commodities, as well as in metrology, which is fundamental for the international acceptance of measurement results. In this context, efforts, infrastructure and knowledge will be combined to definitively confirm that agricultural commodities from different biomes have unique intrinsic properties, allowing traceability through an unequivocal assessment of authenticity. The results will contribute to forensic metrology, providing methodology for providing objective evidence of origin, which can be valuable tools for authorities and stakeholders in combating fraud.