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

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 ( δ 13 C, δ 15 N, and δ 34 S) 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 δ 13 C, δ 15 N, and δ 34 S values could be used to verify the origin and production practices of buckwheat and even its products.