The Provenance of Slovenian Milk Using 87Sr/86Sr Isotope Ratios

This work presents the first use of Sr isotope ratios for determining the provenance of bovine milk from different regions of Slovenia. The analytical protocol for the determination of Sr-87/Sr-86 isotope ratio was optimised and applied to authentic milk samples. Considerable variability of Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios found in Slovenian milk reflects the substantial heterogeneity of the geological background of its origin. The results, although promising, cannot discount possible inter-annual or annual variation of the Sr isotopic composition of milk. The Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios of groundwater and surface waters are in good correlation with milk, indicating that the Sr isotopic fingerprint in milk is reflective of cow drinking water. The Sr-87/Sr-86 ratio has the potential to distinguish between different milk production areas as long as these areas are characterised by geo-lithology. Discriminant analysis (DA) incorporating the elemental composition and stable isotopes of light elements showed that Sr-87/Sr-86 ratio together with delta C-13(cas) and delta N-15(cas) values have the main discrimination power to distinguish the Quaternary group (group 6) from the others. Group 1 (Cretaceous: Carbonate Rocks and Flysch) is associated with Br content, 1/Sr and delta O-18(w) values. The overall prediction ability was found to be 63.5%. Pairwise comparisons using OPLS-DA confirmed that diet and geologic parameters are important for the separation.

Automated summary

This study introduces the use of Sr isotope ratios to determine the origin of bovine milk from different regions of Slovenia. Results show that the Sr isotopic fingerprint in milk is reflective of cow drinking water, indicating a potential for distinguishing between different milk production areas characterized by geo-lithology. The prediction ability was found to be 63.5%.