Decoding Herbs, Spices, and Botanicals

Herbs, spices, and botanicals are especially susceptible to fraud for a variety of reasons such as the complexity of the supply chain, the high value of the products, and the amount of processing required to get to the finished product. 

A DNA-based methodology known as DNA barcoding has become a standard technique for plant species identification. In fact, the Consortium for the Barcode Life was created in part to support the establishment of DNA barcoding as a global standard for species identification.