Stable isotope and chemical compositions of European and Australasian ciders as a guide to authenticity

Abstract

This paper presents a data set derived from the analysis of bottled and canned ciders that may be used for comparison with suspected counterfeit or substitute products. Isotopic analysis of the solid residues from ciders (predominantly sugar) provided a means to determine the addition of C4 plant sugars. The added sugars were found to comprise cane sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, glucose, or combinations. The majority of ciders from Australia and New Zealand were found to contain significant amounts of added sugar, which provided a limited means to distinguish these ciders from European ciders. The hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions of the whole ciders (predominantly water) were shown to be controlled by two factors, the water available to the parent plant and evaporation. Analysis of data derived from both isotopic and chemical analysis of ciders provided a means to discriminate between regions and countries of manufacture.