RBGKEW1513 Cacao TEA and SIRA

Direct Award

Trace element analysis (TEA) of approximately 100 cacao seed subsamples using Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Stable Isotope Analysis (SIRA) of approximately 60 cacao samples (both fatted & defatted fractions) using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IR-MS). These samples were donated to Kew from various countries in South America (Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil) during the previous Defra-funded projects with World Forest ID. All samples will be sent to the supplier in January 2026 and would have to analysed and data returned by end of March 2026 following identical pipelines and MSAs/MTAs as a logical follow-on to those analysed by Fera during the previous WFID projects to maintain protection of sample and data chain of custody and continuity of data quality for standardised results and interpretation.