Targeting food fraud: ANSTO food origin technology on show

Australia's Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) will present its food origin technology at the Australia Pavilion at World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, from 8–10 October 2025.

The government organisation, ANSTO, uses nuclear science and technology in projects designed to develop and deliver real-world benefits to Australia. One such example is its food origin project lead by Dr Debashish Mazumder, which is designed to target food fraud — a global food industry issue costing an estimated AU$60–75 billion each year.

Using nuclear technology and machine learning, the ANSTO-developed technique can verify the geographic origin of food with a claimed accuracy of over 85%.

It works by analysing the unique ‘environmental fingerprint’ — a geochemical and isotope signature — that plants and animals absorb from their surrounding environment. An environmental fingerprint database is then created using authentic samples and machine learning techniques are used to identify the true geographical origin of the products.

Suitable for a range of natural products — including seafood, meat, fruit, bushfood, vegetables, grains and even coral — the food origin technology can be deployed in the field via a portable handheld XRF scanner.

During the expo, ANSTO will run six live science shows and one panel discussion. Speakers include Dr Mazumder, ANSTO education officer Sarah Tyler and ANSTO education manager Dr Bridget Murphy, along with ANSTO’s original animated character, Kai the Koi fish. Four science-themed challenges, inspired by Japanese game shows, will be presented along with interactive demonstrations, a replica of ANSTO’s portable XRF scanner and entertaining videos explaining the science behind the innovation.