Food fraud: A hidden public health risk

Food fraud — defined as the deliberate and intentional act of substituting, addition, tampering, altering or misrepresenting foodstuff for financial gain — has caused growing concerns over public health. Although the primary effect is usually the consumers' pocket, the bigger impact is on consumer wellbeing, safety and trust, with the potential of causing major health issue or even death in some cases.
The incidence of food fraud and adulteration has been on the rise in recent years, largely driven by the globalisation of supply chains and the growing complexity of the distribution networks. Such conditions create opportunity to unethical operators to create fraudulent goods that are increasingly difficult to detect. The world has witnessed many fraudulent acts in recent years, with seafood, olive oil, honey, spices, and dairy products being among the most commonly targeted items.
According to a report published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in 2021, titled 'Food fraud: Intention, detection and management', numerous cases of food fraud have been documented worldwide. Key examples include:
• In the Australian market, 20 per cent of honey was adulterated with substances such as cane sugar or corn syrup.
• A DNA tests on 153 samples from 30 different brands of cod fillet in China, found that 58 per cent of the samples were substituted with other fish species.
• In Taiwan, low-grade palm oil and other cheap oils were labelled as high-grade olive oil
• In Pakistan, the world's fifth largest milk producer, milk was adulterated with urea and contaminated water
Other sources have reported additional cases, such as:
• Lead contamination in baby food (Fruit Puree pouches) in USA exceeded the limit 200 times affecting 65 children across 22 states, leading to a large-scale recall by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late 2023.
• Spice contamination with Ethylene Oxide from Indian was banned by Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Maldives in 2024.
• In May 2024, the authorities in India uncovered an industrial dye was mixed with turmeric and chili powder to enhance colour.
In some of the biggest scandals unearthed earlier in 2008, Chinese infant formula was found adulterated with melamine, killing six babies and sickening over 300,000. The most notorious cases occurred in 2013 in Europe when several major retailers were found to be selling beef products that contained up to 100% horse meat.
On the other hand, misleading (or deceptive) food advertisements are other forms of misleading consumers into buying products. These ads influence their behavior by presenting food products as healthier, safer or more premium than is truly is. A common tactic used is the false health claims such as 'Boosts immunity,' 'Prevents cancer,' 'Heart-healthy,' 'Clinically proven.'
These statements are often not backed up by a sound scientific evidence and intended to create false sense of health benefit. Similarly, labels claiming '100% natural' or 'organic' or 'no added sugar' can be misleading. These products may still contain processed ingredients, added sugars, or preservatives.
Food fraud is not just about losing money, it can be deadly as well. Therefore combating fraud is not only to preserve trust but mostly safeguarding public health and the right to access safe and authentic food. Ultimately, protecting the integrity of our food requires a collaborative effort from government authorities enforcing stricter regulations, to industries adopting transparent practices, and consumers staying vigilant and knowledgeable.

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Food fraud: A hidden public health risk

Food fraud — defined as the deliberate and intentional act of substituting, addition, tampering, altering or misrepresenting foodstuff for financial gain — has caused growing concerns over public health. Although the primary effect is usually the consumers' pocket, the bigger impact is on consumer wellbeing, safety and trust, with the potential of causing major health issue or even death in some cases. The incidence of food fraud and adulteration has been on the rise in recent years, largely driven by the globalisation of supply chains and the growing complexity of the distribution networks. Such conditions create opportunity to unethical operators to create fraudulent goods that are increasingly difficult to detect. The world has witnessed many fraudulent acts in recent years, with seafood, olive oil, honey, spices, and dairy products being among the most commonly targeted items. According to a report published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in 2021, titled 'Food fraud: Intention, detection and management', numerous cases of food fraud have been documented worldwide. Key examples include: • In the Australian market, 20 per cent of honey was adulterated with substances such as cane sugar or corn syrup. • A DNA tests on 153 samples from 30 different brands of cod fillet in China, found that 58 per cent of the samples were substituted with other fish species. • In Taiwan, low-grade palm oil and other cheap oils were labelled as high-grade olive oil • In Pakistan, the world's fifth largest milk producer, milk was adulterated with urea and contaminated water Other sources have reported additional cases, such as: • Lead contamination in baby food (Fruit Puree pouches) in USA exceeded the limit 200 times affecting 65 children across 22 states, leading to a large-scale recall by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late 2023. • Spice contamination with Ethylene Oxide from Indian was banned by Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Maldives in 2024. • In May 2024, the authorities in India uncovered an industrial dye was mixed with turmeric and chili powder to enhance colour. In some of the biggest scandals unearthed earlier in 2008, Chinese infant formula was found adulterated with melamine, killing six babies and sickening over 300,000. The most notorious cases occurred in 2013 in Europe when several major retailers were found to be selling beef products that contained up to 100% horse meat. On the other hand, misleading (or deceptive) food advertisements are other forms of misleading consumers into buying products. These ads influence their behavior by presenting food products as healthier, safer or more premium than is truly is. A common tactic used is the false health claims such as 'Boosts immunity,' 'Prevents cancer,' 'Heart-healthy,' 'Clinically proven.' These statements are often not backed up by a sound scientific evidence and intended to create false sense of health benefit. Similarly, labels claiming '100% natural' or 'organic' or 'no added sugar' can be misleading. These products may still contain processed ingredients, added sugars, or preservatives. Food fraud is not just about losing money, it can be deadly as well. Therefore combating fraud is not only to preserve trust but mostly safeguarding public health and the right to access safe and authentic food. Ultimately, protecting the integrity of our food requires a collaborative effort from government authorities enforcing stricter regulations, to industries adopting transparent practices, and consumers staying vigilant and knowledgeable.

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