Isotope Fingerprints of Common and Tartary Buckwheat Grains and Milling Fractions: A Preliminary Study.

ABSTRACT

The grains and milling fractions of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) and Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.) are widely used for both industrial and small-scale food and non-food products. This paper represents a preliminary study of the isotopic signature (δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S) to differentiate between buckwheat species (common vs. Tartary), organic and conventional cultivation farming, and different buckwheat fractions (light flour, semolina, and hulls) obtained by a traditional cereal stone-mill. Stable isotope ratios were analyzed using an elemental analyzer coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (EA/IRMS). The results indicated that δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S values could be used to verify the origin and production practices of buckwheat and even its products.