From DNA barcoding to personalized nutrition: the evolution of food traceability

A genuine nutritional product is pivotal for getting proper health benefits and preventing pathologies. However, with the increase in global trading of raw and processed food products, reliable authentication is essential for correct labelling to ensure consumer safety. The use of DNA-based tools has become a prospective solution in the near future to solve this problem. Currently, technologies exploiting DNA polymorphism between species are able to characterize the food composition of pure (DNA barcoding) or multi-species (DNA metabarcoding) food items, and the application of this technology has started entering into food regulations. Here, we provide a brief overview of the history, success, and forthcoming applications of such approaches, while also considering the influence of food on human microbiota and the emerging trends toward the adoption of a ‘personalized nutrition’.