The application of isotopic and elemental analysis to determine the geographical origin of premium long grain rice

Rice samples cultivated in the USA, Europe and Basmati regions have been analysed using Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Nine key variables (carbon-13, oxygen-18, boron, holmium, gadolinium, magnesium, rubidium, selenium and tungsten) were identified by canonical discriminant analysis as providing the maximum discrimination between rice samples from these regions. High levels of boron (>2500 ppb) were associated with rice samples from America and notably high levels of holmium were found in rice samples from the state of Arkansas. European rice samples generally contained relatively high levels of magnesium and Indian/Pakistani samples were characterised by relatively low oxygen-18 (O-18) abundance.