From 1690 to 1720, piracy reigned supreme in the Caribbean. While that era is long gone, fruit piracy is still very much alive. Source Certain worked with WA Farm Direct to safeguard the provenance of Bravo apples. Charlie Watkinson writes.
Today, fruit breeders face the threat of pirate products in both domestic and international markets that can undermine years of hard work and innovation.
Fortunately, provenance science programs are emerging as powerful tools to protect the rights of plant breeders and help guarantee that consumers have reliable access to authentic products.
Given the years it can take to get a new fruit varietal to market and develop consumer demand, ensuring authenticity is vital to preserving innovation in the industry and maintaining consumer trust.
Protection against illicit fruit substitution within the supply chain supports the plant breeder’s rights and existing growers are protected by mitigating unauthorised propagation of plants. In 2001, Californian growers were prosecuted for illegally obtaining and propagating two table grape varieties developed and owned by the USDA.
Innovation in pome fruit is well-showcased by the West Australian bred ANABP 01 Australian Bravo apples which are protected by a world-first provenance program. What makes Bravo like no other is their unique burgundy skin, and sweet, juicy flavour leading to them being rated as Australia’s best tasting apple.
Consumers buying Bravo for the first time might not spot the difference between an authentic and counterfeit piece of fruit, leading to adverse effects for branding and market growth. Research shows that following a bad apple eating experience nearly two in three Australian consumers would change cultivars, and a quarter may switch to consuming other types of fruit.
To ensure the hard work of the breeders and the growers shines, fruit breeders can turn to science. The Bravo provenance program, which was founded by Source Certain and WA Farm Direct in 2021, provides ANABP 01 growers and Bravo consumers alike with the assurance that their fruit is authentic and can be traced back to its orchard of origin.
Source Certain’s TSW Trace technology, which can definitively prove fruit came from a single grower, is the biggest advance to support the Plant Breeder’s Rights Act in a generation. The test looks at the chemistry of the apple, not its DNA, meaning fruit breeders can show that fruit comes from registered growers – not just that it is a licensed variety.
Whether something is natural or manufactured, its chemical composition represents where it is from and how it has been produced. Source Certain chemists look at the trace metals and nutrients that are in fruit and use that to pinpoint the orchard where the apple was grown.
WA Farm Direct national development manager Sean Engelbrecht says, “By working with Source Certain the ANABP 01/Bravo apple program has been able to assure that all apples sold internationally and domestically are from registered growers and orchards.”
To make the system work, Source Certain collects sample from all licensed ANABP 01 orchards across Australia. Then, at any point in the supply chain, Source Certain is able collect and test retail samples to show not only that the apples are Bravo, but which grower and orchard produced them.
This approach has advantages over traceability and QR code-based approaches which can be defeated by simply swapping in a lookalike product. Testing the fruit provides bona fide proof of its authenticity and insulates brands from food fraud. This helps WA Farm Direct and protects current licensed ANABP 01 apple growers in ensuring that only quality produce reaches the retail market.
This article first appeared in the June/July 2023 edition of Food & Drink Business magazine.
