Food fraud is unfortunately a serious and increasing problem. It applies when food is deliberately placed on the market, for financial gain, with the intention of deceiving the consumer. Some aspects of food fraud are dealt with by Trading Standards and where food fraud has the potential to cause ill health it is dealt with by Environmental Health.
As it is becoming increasingly the case for food fraudsters to use highly sophisticated techniques that make it very difficult, if not impossible, for the public to detect that food fraud has occurred, we have appointed a Public Analyst who supports our food fraud enforcement work. The Public Analyst is capable of carrying out a wide range of tests to ensure that samples submitted meet complex food law requirements, including proper presentation, labelling and advertising, compositional standards, and the absence of harmful additives, contaminants and residues.
The two main types of food fraud are:
Main types of Food Fraud
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Food Fraud
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Example
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The sale of food which is unfit and potentially harmful.
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Recycling of animal by-products back into the food chain
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Packing and selling of beef and poultry with an unknown origin
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Knowingly selling goods which are past their use by date
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Counterfeit alcohol
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The deliberate misdescription of food, whilst not necessarily unsafe, deceives the consumer as to the nature of the product.
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Products substituted with a cheaper alternative, for example, farmed salmon sold as wild, and Basmati rice adulterated with cheaper varieties
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Making false statements about the source of ingredients, i.e. their geographic, plant or animal origin
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What should you do if you suspect your employer of food fraud?
If you work in the food industry and you are ‘whistle blowing’ in the public interest on wrongdoing where you work, you will protected from detrimental treatment or victimisation from your employer under the Public Interest Disclosures Act 1998.
Please contact the Food Standards Agency or Gateshead Council if you have any suspicions.
Email: foodfraud@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk|