8.4 Fraudulent Addition and Mixing of I. Paraguariensis …
7 9
with the entering on the market of low-quality and equally priced yerba mate, with
resulting low prices for authentic products (Haddad and Parisi 2020a, b; Parisi and
Haddad 2019).
The fraudulent addition (better: mixture) of non-yerba mate leaves to I. paraguariensis can be considered as a good adulteration example. In this ambit, it has been
reported that NIR technology may be used when speaking of the recognition not
only of selected molecules such as methylxanthines in yerba mate, but also of a
general spectral profile of the product, with the necessary assistance of chemometric approaches (Mazur et al. 2014). This system may be able to recognise
regional/national patterns, and also abnormal spectral profiles belonging to non-I.
paraguariensis products because of the addition (or substitution) of other Ilex species.
An hypothetical example can be the use of I. argentina (found in the area approximately located between Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, and Andagalá, Argentina)
which has been often confused in the past with I. paraguariensis (for this reason,
yerba mate was considered a native Bolivian plant, until recent times) (Giberti 1995).
8.5 Fraudulent Labelling in Terms of Mandatory
and Facultative Information to the Consumer
This section concerns all possible mislabelling and undeclared information with legal
importance, when speaking of yerba mate. One of these information—the indication
of ‘best-before use’—is extremely important because it is related to the possible
addition of sugars. As above mentioned, moisture can increase with reduction of
shelf life values. On the other hand, the best-before end date informs the consumers
that the products can be still consumed after a certain date (no expiration date),
even if the food is adulterated and substantially is not equal to a normal yerba mate
product! In other terms, a non-yerba mate genuine product can really expire (and
be dangerous) after a defined date instead of normal yerba mate (which a specific
danger is not recognised after a specific date)… because the product is named ‘yerba
mate’.
The problem is that ‘shelf life’ may be considered as a ‘best-before end’ date, with
a clear meaning of commercial acceptability (or unacceptability) instead of safety
and health acceptability. Available data in the literature show shelf life values up
to 30–44 or 10–13 days (depending on storage conditions, relative humidity above
all) (dos Santos et al. 2020; Surkan et al. 2009). It has also been mentioned that
the most reliable dates for yerba mate should be the harvesting and the packaging
date. Actually, shelf life is three years after packaging, in Argentina and Paraguay
at least (Goyerbamate.com 2020). As a result, the date of packaging should define
the real durability of the product. On the other hand, some products mention clearly
the ‘expiration date’ information on their packages on the market… and this definition might not imply commercial acceptability without safety and health features.
The recent ‘Guidance on date marking and related food information: part 1 (date
7 9
with the entering on the market of low-quality and equally priced yerba mate, with
resulting low prices for authentic products (Haddad and Parisi 2020a, b; Parisi and
Haddad 2019).
The fraudulent addition (better: mixture) of non-yerba mate leaves to I. paraguariensis can be considered as a good adulteration example. In this ambit, it has been
reported that NIR technology may be used when speaking of the recognition not
only of selected molecules such as methylxanthines in yerba mate, but also of a
general spectral profile of the product, with the necessary assistance of chemometric approaches (Mazur et al. 2014). This system may be able to recognise
regional/national patterns, and also abnormal spectral profiles belonging to non-I.
paraguariensis products because of the addition (or substitution) of other Ilex species.
An hypothetical example can be the use of I. argentina (found in the area approximately located between Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, and Andagalá, Argentina)
which has been often confused in the past with I. paraguariensis (for this reason,
yerba mate was considered a native Bolivian plant, until recent times) (Giberti 1995).
8.5 Fraudulent Labelling in Terms of Mandatory
and Facultative Information to the Consumer
This section concerns all possible mislabelling and undeclared information with legal
importance, when speaking of yerba mate. One of these information—the indication
of ‘best-before use’—is extremely important because it is related to the possible
addition of sugars. As above mentioned, moisture can increase with reduction of
shelf life values. On the other hand, the best-before end date informs the consumers
that the products can be still consumed after a certain date (no expiration date),
even if the food is adulterated and substantially is not equal to a normal yerba mate
product! In other terms, a non-yerba mate genuine product can really expire (and
be dangerous) after a defined date instead of normal yerba mate (which a specific
danger is not recognised after a specific date)… because the product is named ‘yerba
mate’.
The problem is that ‘shelf life’ may be considered as a ‘best-before end’ date, with
a clear meaning of commercial acceptability (or unacceptability) instead of safety
and health acceptability. Available data in the literature show shelf life values up
to 30–44 or 10–13 days (depending on storage conditions, relative humidity above
all) (dos Santos et al. 2020; Surkan et al. 2009). It has also been mentioned that
the most reliable dates for yerba mate should be the harvesting and the packaging
date. Actually, shelf life is three years after packaging, in Argentina and Paraguay
at least (Goyerbamate.com 2020). As a result, the date of packaging should define
the real durability of the product. On the other hand, some products mention clearly
the ‘expiration date’ information on their packages on the market… and this definition might not imply commercial acceptability without safety and health features.
The recent ‘Guidance on date marking and related food information: part 1 (date