Determination of the geographic origin of garlic using the bioelement content and isotope signatures

In recent years, the identification of origin has become a significant issue in food safety and quality control systems. Garlic is produced mainly in Asia and has become a popular agricultural product among health-conscious individuals. The objective of this study was to determine the geographic origins of Korean garlic (KG) and Chinese garlic (CG) using their bioelement (C, O, N, and S) contents and isotope signatures. Unlike KG, CG is produced under a systematic agricultural management system for the export market. Chinese garlic has a more homogeneous bioelement content and isotope composition than KG. The interannual differences in δ13C and δ18O values were observed in KG. The N and S isotope compositions between KG and CG samples were found to be the key parameters discriminating their geographic origin. The KG and CG samples could be clearly discriminated by a statistical analysis that included bioelements and multi-isotopes as variables. We suggest that the N and S isotopic composition of garlic can be used to identify its country of origin (p