Food adulteration problems are growing by the day and it is turning into a global problem. It includes the addition of low-grade or foreign materials to a foodstuff, diluting it with water, or deliberately mislabeling of food packaging. Growing from harmless low levels to serious issues causing hazardous consequences, the history of food adulteration dates long back to the 17th century.
In a globally imported and exported chain it involves large quantities of food products undergoing the supply chain. It is challenging to monitor it for safety all through and hence the quality deficiencies and contamination at any point is highly likely.
Economically Motivated Adulteration
Economically motivated adulteration is done with the intent to generate extra profits. Usually the involved parties do not function with the intent of causing health hazards and make their way around the quality assurance practices and thereby escape detection. This type of food fraud is not only posing a serious threat to the economy of the nation but also the health of its citizens.
Categories of Food Fraud
Food fraud is the purposeful and intended swap, addition, fiddling, or perversion of food, any or all of its ingredients or packaging; or fake or ambiguous statements made about a product, for economic benefits. This food safety issue is considered more of a criminal act than being an intentional act directed towards economic gain through fraudulent practices.
The 7 diverse food frauds identified include:
- Adulteration: An element of the refined product is deceitful.
- Tampering: Rightful produce and its packaging are used in deceitful manner.
- Overrun: Rightful product is made in surplus of defined agreements.
- Theft: Rightful product is stolen and passed off as lawfully acquired.
- Diversion: The sale or distribution of the rightful products outside the proposed markets.
- Simulation: Unlawful product is premeditated to look like the legitimate product.
- Counterfeit: All aspects of the fraudulent product and packaging are fully replicated.
Rightful Responsibilities Adoption
In due course, both government and the industry authorities need to dive in to take responsibility of addressing the menace of food adulteration. While the government has the ability to dive in and address the loopholes into the supply chain where the threat of fraud exists, the industry bodies need to look for the best practices to be adopted towards dealing with it.
This means keeping up with the alarming situations wherein a commodity suddenly paves its way into the market at prices that are rock bottom, and also looking for potential problems. Here food safety training can help in ensuring best practices in safety assurance, laboratory testing, and third-party audit and certification.
Play your Part
If you are in the profession of food safety, public health or law enforcement, use your opportunity to gain knowledge about food fraud and be FSMA compliant. Join this audio conference by Douglas Moyer and be better prepared for the global battle to protect the public’s health and profits. The conference will provide attendees with an analysis of Food Fraud as a HACCP-type risk, many types of fraudsters, and their various types of frauds. This knowledge will facilitate a calculated move from recognition and retorts to practical hindrance. This practical food safety training program will help food producers and distributors better safeguard themselves while dropping the public health risks that are distinctive to Food Fraud.
