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This paper discusses the definition of food fraud based on an analysis of 53 empirical cases on food fraud investigations conducted at the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). It suggests that the scope of food fraud is widened and encompasses three forms of food fraud: food laundering, fraudulent food enhancement, and facilitative food fraud. Food laundering encompasses the use of illegal material as food, whereas fraudulent food enhancement describes a situation where legal food is value-enhanced through deceitful cost-cutting measures. Facilitative food fraud captures the role of facilitative actors that operate illegally and intentionally for economic advantage. On the basis of this widened scope a modified definition of food fraud is proposed: food fraud is committed by any actor who is intentionally involved in illegal acts for economic advantage, thus causing or facilitating illegal food to be laundered into the supply chain or for food to be fraudulently value-enhanced.

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A new report has been published based on data collected by the NVWA (The Netherlands Food and Consumer Safety Authority) that shows that certified organisations perform better than non-certified in relation to compliance with regulations. It covers a 5 year period and 15,000 audits.The paper concludes that businesses operating to 3^rd party management systems perform better than non-certificated sites. Businesses with BRCGS certification in place performed well and reported fewer non-compliances with the regulation than both non-certified organisations, as well as those operating on other certification programmes.

You can read the article and dowload the full paper here

Dutch RTL News broadcaster have analysed reports from both Government inspectors and Organic inspectors published between 2015 and 2018. These show some 68 companies selling food labelled as organic, which does not meet the required standards. Of these, 10 companies are thought to have committed quite serious fraud offences. Only one of these cases is being looked at by the Public Prosecution Department. RTL News reported in May, that hundreds of products are being sold in Dutch shops as organic, but which actually come from farms which have broken the rules on animal welfare, the use of medicines and the environment. Calls from farmers for a 'get-tough approach' from government inspectors are likely to go unheard and a spokesman for the NVWA (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) told RTL that it does not have enough staff to tackle all the fraud involving organic food. Priority, therefore, is given to cases which have implications for food safety.

 Read the article here