Saffron authenticity depends on more than a convincing colour or aroma. A September 2025 FAO initiative with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences combines advanced laboratory profiling with practical post-harvest guidance and training across the saffron value chain.
Grading, authenticity and traceability answer related but different questions. Advanced analysis can complement routine tests; no single claim replaces evidence for an individual batch.
What FAO and MUMS announced
On 16 September 2025, FAO reported a Letter of Agreement with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences to improve Iranian saffron quality control and authenticity testing. The programme links laboratory verification with guidance for the stages after harvest.
High-resolution NMR fingerprinting
The announced approach uses high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance, supported by data analysis, to characterise crocin, picrocrocin and safranal. FAO describes a more detailed chemical profile for authenticity checks than routine methods alone.
The initiative does not mean that NMR universally replaces every routine test. The method, sampling and interpretation must fit the question being asked.
Post-harvest guidance and training
FAO also describes practical guidance to preserve colour, flavour and aroma after harvest, plus training for farmers, traders and laboratory experts in Khorasan Razavi, North Khorasan and South Khorasan.
A laboratory result is a record of the tested sample. Subsequent drying, packaging, storage and transport remain important parts of a product’s documented history.
How this relates to ISO 3632
FAO notes that commonly used ISO grading tests do not always resolve subtle differences or sophisticated adulteration. This supports complementary testing rather than treating a grade as a complete authenticity guarantee.
Questions about quality grade, botanical identity, geographic origin and handling should be stated separately. A chemical profile may contribute evidence, but its interpretation depends on validated methods and suitable reference data.
What buyers should ask for
- Batch identity: Does the report correspond to the product and batch being sold?
- Method: Which tests were performed, and which question does each answer?
- Timing: When was the sample tested, and what happened to the product afterwards?
- Traceability: What records support the claimed origin and supply chain?
- Limits: Which claims are supported, and which are outside the report’s scope?
Neither an illustration of NMR nor a reference to this FAO programme proves that a particular seller’s saffron was tested with that method. Product-specific claims need product-specific records.
Frequently asked questions
Can a home colour test prove authenticity?
A simple observation does not provide the analytical evidence described in this initiative. Use documented testing and traceability rather than relying on a single visual clue.
Does the programme certify Saffrona products?
No such certification is established by this article. The initiative is reported as sector research and quality-development work.
Primary source
FAO: agreement with Mashhad University to advance saffron authenticity testing, 16 September 2025.
Explore more quality topics in the Saffron Academy, or view Saffrona’s saffron collection.