The May 2024 edition of the monthly report on EU Agri-Food Fraud suspicions has been published.
This month's suspicions include a cocktail of pesticides residues, a flavor of natural mineral water, some food supplements with unauthorized ingredients and a few veterinary medicines residues.
View this month's and all 2024 reports at: FFN monthly - European Commission (europa.eu)
A new study examines the outputs for two programmes of Joint Knowledge Transfer work covering the period April 2017 To March 2023. The impact analysis clearly illustrates that the Joint Knowledge Transfer Framework provides an efficient and effective collaborative mechanism to deliver strategic KT to positively influence UK food analysis laboratory capability and knowledge.
The Joint Knowledge Transfer Framework for Food Standards and Food Safety Analysis is a UK cross-government programme of knowledge transfer (KT). Its aim is to disseminate a strategic programme of scientific KT activities to support laboratory capability and best practice in food safety and standards analysis.
The activities delivered are aimed at upskilling laboratories, with a focus on those involved in the delivery of official controls. The framework also allows for training to be provided on new and emerging food safety and standards detection methodologies, disseminating best practice in their application and providing the tools and knowledge to respond to current and emerging analytical needs. The reviewed period included a number of food authenticity testing applications.
A French translation of our 2023 Annual Summary has been published here.
This summary is now available in four languages (English, Chinese, French and Spanish) making our resources more accessible to members who do not have English as a first language.
A Chinese translation of our 2023 Annual Summary has been published here.
This summary is now available in four languages (English, Chinese, French and Spanish) making our resources more accessible to members who do not have English as a first language.
This experimental study (open access) developed the previously-reported use of ultrasound to differentiate types of vegetable oils. The researchers measured the attenuation and ultrasonic velocity of mixtures of organic argan oil (a premium North African product) with volumetric fractions of sesame oil, peanut oil or cheaper argan oil extracted from kernels depulped by goats.
They found that the measurements exhibit distinct behaviors manifested by electrical signals for the mixture obtained after the addition of each volumetric fraction, reflecting the capability of the adopted method to detect this difference. A notable decrease in ultrasonic velocity is observed in the mixtures as the quantity of added oil increases, with a maximum variation of 11 m/s for the argan/peanut oil mixture. Conversely, The attenuation of ultrasonic waves increases proportionally with the added volumetric fractions, with the argan/peanut oil mixture exhibiting an attenuation variation range of 3.57 Np/m.
They reported that prediction models for the added volumetric fractions to organic argan oil based on attenuation and ultrasonic velocity, showed a weak correlation between the predicted quantity of added oil and the actual quantity added to organic argan oil, with determination coefficients (r) not exceeding 65%. The weak correlation is due to the similar chemical compositions of the oils.
They conclude that ultrasonic-statistical analysis is a valuable tool for authenticating and ensuring the quality of vegetable oils. However, the limitations highlight the need to refine models for better accuracy. It offers a quick and simple alternative to traditional methods.
The World Trade Organisation launched “Addressing Illicit Trade in Food and Food Fraud”, on 28 May. This short report gives a high-level overview of current estimates of fraud in the global food trade, including listing the sectors where fraud is believed to be most prevalent.
The publication brings together contributions from experts in international organizations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and the WTO Secretariat, who underline the detrimental impact of illicit food trade on food security and public health. The contributors outline various strategies to counter illicit food trade and food fraud, recognizing that a comprehensive response requires a blend of regulatory measures, enforcement, industry cooperation and consumer education. The publication also outlines action taken by various agencies in these areas and highlights the range of WTO agreements that can contribute to combating illicit trade.
The similar morphological characteristics among different species of lavers (types of seaweed) make them vulnerable to food fraud. In this study (purchase required) the authors developed a portable microfluidic quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method to monitor six laver species, comparing its effectiveness with conventional qPCR. The portable microfluidic qPCR system used a plate-shaped heat block for rapid heat transfer, combined with a microfluidic-based biochip for quick detection. The primers were specifically designed to target the chloroplast genes rbcL and rbcS.
The authors reported that specificity using 17 seaweed species showed no cross-reactivity, and the sensitivity of the assay was 1 × 10−4 ng. They enhanced the portable microfluidic qPCR for field applications by integrating it with a simple DNA extraction method. To validate the on-site rapid identification of laver species, they evaluated 79 laver samples collected from fish farms in Korea and commercially available laver products. They discovered instances where products were adulterated with cheaper species or replaced with others that resemble them.
They conclude that the method is rapid, sensitive, reliable, and applicable for effectively managing and monitoring lavers in the supply chain.
Photo by Benjamin L. Jones on Unsplash
Further case-law was added to US labelling rules this month with an Indiana Superior Court judgement that tacos and burritos are “sandwiches”. This contradicts previous rulings in other states and also the USDA interpretation. In New York, burritos are considered a sandwich for tax purposes.
This technicality is important, for both regulatory jurisdiction and for tax. Closed-face sandwiches are under FDA jurisdiction. They do not require USDA FSIS label approval, although the meat in the closed-face sandwich must be from a USDA inspected facility. USDA defines closed face sandwiches as ”ready-to-serve, hand-held products consisting of a meat or poultry filling between two slices of bread, a biscuit, or a bun.” On the other hand, USDA regulates “open-face sandwiches,” where the product includes at least 50% cooked meat, and “dinners containing a sandwich type product” (e.g., hamburgers).
Source: Keller and Heckman LLP blog “The Daily Intake”
Photo by Kashish Lamba on Unsplash
The European Commission has an open call for members to join an expert group to develop a honey traceability platform. The closing date for applications is 15 July.
The creation of the traceability platform is one of the requirements of the recent “Breakfast Directive” EU 2024/1438.
The latest article from John Spink's Food Fraud Prevention Academy gives some wise words on what a food business should do, in practice, when an (unverified) report of fraud appears in the media. The example given is from the airline industry but with clear parallels for the food industry.
It advocates a systematic and calm approach to seeking corroboration and primary information sources to provide the detail that is needed to assess whether or not your own business may be affected. Your should give your senior management a heads-up but without over-reacting or taking knee-jerk actions unsurported by evidence.
The article is also a timely reminder that multiple online reports of the same "incident" are not, in themselves, orthogonal corroboration of evidence. There is a chance that they could all be repetitions of the same single original quote or article.
This study (purchase required) aimed to determine the ability of two portable miniaturised low-cost near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) devices to discriminate between fresh and thawed mackerel (submitted to one or two frozen-thawed cycles) and between different freezing systems. The effect of different fish seasonal characteristics on the performance of the model was also evaluated.
The authors found that both of the evaluated NIR devices were able to discriminate between fresh and thawed samples with a classification rate of 90.3% and 94.1% and the freezing system to which they were submitted with a classification rate of 91.2% and 89.7%.
They concluded that that low-cost portable NIR spectroscopy can be a valuable tool for detecting mislabeled frozen-thawed products sold as fresh, providing enforcement officials and even consumers with a rapid and affordable method for fraud detection. However, the robustness of the models should be improved including more data from different seasons. They recommended the development of a global model including different species.
Here is the solution to the crossword published in our May newsletter.
There were no entries submitted, so the star prize of A Warm Feeling of Recognition rolls over to our next competition later in the year.
In this study (open access) the researchers sought to identify chemical markers for lemon oil authenticity within the non-volatile components. This would provide an accessible LC-UV alternative to the typical approach of profiling the volatile (flavour) components by gas chromatography.
The authors focussed on 15 coumarins and furocoumarins (“oxygen heterocyclic compounds, OHCs”). They profiled the differences between authentic lemon oil and a range of commercial industrial lemon oils, and tested for significant differences using either single markers or combinations of markers. They concluded that he combination of isopimpinellin and total OHC concentration were very predictive markers for differentiating genuine lemon oil from commercial industrial substitutes. They successfully tested the model, with 98% accuracy, on 154 commercial oils on the US market.
Is fraud the result of a single rogue actor (the “bad apple”) or is it the natural consequence of system failures and poor oversight? Or is it the result of a complex matrix of different drivers?
In this thought-provoking article (open access) the author reviews and considers how the “bad apple” vs “bad barrel” vs “rotten orchard” mindset that is used in the financial fraud literature could be applied to the food industry. (i.e. considering the individual fraudster, the mendacious organisation the fraudster works within, and the stressed, dysfunctional or corrupt system). She recommends a systematic assessment of all three viewpoints in order to mitigate fraud risk. Too often, the food industry only considers the “bad apple” perspective.
Please see the discussion and links kindly shared by our member Christopher Bear
✅Do you have experience of developing policy/regulation that impacts on the food system?
✅Do you have experience of implementing policy/regulation that impacts on the food system?
✅Does your work aim to influence policy/regulation that impacts on the food system?
❗If your answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, we would like to hear from you!
🌍The Horizon Europe-funded TITAN project is conducting a survey on how policy and regulation can promote and enable more transparent food systems that promote greater sustainability, food safety, and improved health and nutrition.
⏭️A key output from the project will be a policy roadmap, proposing actions and measures that build food system transparency. This will be presented to the European Commission and shared widely with national governments and agencies. Your participation in this survey will ensure the relevance and currency of the policy roadmap.
🔗The survey should take around 5 minutes to complete. The survey will remain open until 31st July.
The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission have published their monthly collation of food fraud reports here. Thanks to FAN member Bruno Sechet who has again collated these as an infographic. The original infographic is on Bruno's LinkedIn feed.
The JRC collation uses global media reports, and this always gives a slightly different picture than collating official reports. FAN's recent report gives a high-level annual overview for 2023. But, whatever source of information, food businesses should always remember that there are limitations to such general collations and league-tables of "most fraudulent foods". They are only the first part of the risk assessment evidence. The more pertinent question is the specific risks in your own supply chain; the companies and ingredient sources that you purchase from.
Food Fraud Prevention – Risk and Vulnerability
Welcome! In support of the Food Authenticity Network (FAN) activity, this blog series reviews key topics related to food fraud prevention. Watch here for updates that explore the definitions of food fraud terms and concepts.
This blog post builds on our previous review of the definition of food fraud, including the types of fraud plus the types of products to consider. This post shifts to the fundamental concepts of risk and vulnerability, and a later focus will be on mitigation and prevention.
Frederick Accum first defined the general food fraud concept in the 1820 publication of ‘A Treatise on Adulterations of Food and Culinary Poisons.’ It was almost 200 years until there was a holistic and all-encompassing approach to not just detection but prevention of food fraud. Over those years, one group (food scientists) completed their task of identifying and detecting the problem. The missing link was the interdisciplinary approach needed to shift from focusing on microbes and chemical contaminants to the human adversary (Social Science and Criminology). There were two paradigm shifts:
This study uses the ISO 31000 Risk Management based term “event.” The terms are reviewed in more detail, including “incident,” “threat,” and “hazard.” This does not conflict with other laws, regulations, standards, and certifications.
Event, Incident, Hazard, Crisis, and Threat
Words and concepts are situational and based on past use and related activities. While there are many casual or informal uses of these terms, it is best to use the terms as they are specifically defined to avoid confusion.
Risk and Vulnerability
During the early food fraud prevention research, it was fascinating to find that risk and vulnerability had been formally defined as separate concepts in formal publications such as by the International Standards Organization (ISO) or the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). They are related topics but explicitly and implicitly different.
The expansion from just risk to vulnerability was key in the early development of the food fraud standards – including the landmark work by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI, and the related standards from BRC/BRCGS, IFS, SQF, FSSC 22000, and others). This expanded focus on vulnerability was key to enabling the early adoption of the programs. It was also efficient to focus on the root causes.
Watch out for the next blog, which will review the application of quality management and risk management to expand the focus from mitigation to prevention,
If you have any questions on this blog, we’d love to hear from you in the comments box below.
References:
Many analytical approaches use markers as indicators of food authenticity. These markers can stem from various systems biology approaches, including elements, metabolites, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
This article (purchase required), written by some of the global thought-leaders in authenticity analysis, starts with the premise that there is a pressing need to adopt a harmonized approach for validating these markers. The authors make recommendations for harmonized terminologies and general definitions related to food authenticity markers. They propose the terms “primary” and “secondary” markers to distinguish between direct and indirect authentication. The terms “single” and “dual” authenticity markers, and authentic “profiles” and “fingerprints” are suggested to distinguish between the number of analytical targets used. They also recommend that the terms: “threshold”, “binary”, and “interval” markers are applied depending on how they discriminate authentic from non-authentic samples.
Secondly, they advocate for harmonization in marker discovery approaches. They provide a summary of the main analytical techniques, published guidelines, data repositories, and data analysis approaches for various marker classes while also stating their applicability and limitations.
Finally, they propose guidelines concerning marker validation. They recommend that the validation of the authentication method should include the following steps: 1) applicability statement; 2) experimental design; 3) marker selection and analysis; 4) analytical method validation; 5) method release; 6) method monitoring. They conclude that implementing these approaches will represent a significant step towards establishing a wide range of fully validated and accredited methodologies that can be applied effectively in food authenticity monitoring and control programs..
This review (open access) covers reported incidents of counterfeit spirits over the past 20 years. It includes estimates of the economic cost as well as fatalities and serious injuries.
Estimations of counterfeit spirits range from 25% to 40% of total alcoholic spirits consumed globally. Including knock-on effects, these products cost the EU alone 23,400 lost jobs and at least €3B in lost revenue per year. Annually there is at least €1.2B in lost government revenue. Counterfeit products decrease legitimate sales, both by replacement sales, and by the erosion of consumer product trust and satisfaction of legitimate goods and decrease legitimate manufacturing jobs. The authors review the worldwide problem, scope, and scale of the spirits counterfeiting problem including specific health issues, and the international plight of reduced labour available resulting directly from production and sale of counterfeited liquor.
The authors also review, at a high level, the methods and technologies that have been published to analytically detect chemically adulterated or substituted products that have been published. The categorise the analytical technologies into four functional areas highlighting economy, generality, and utility. Finally, the authors discuss approaches to prevention.
Photo by Devin Berko on Unsplash
This study (purchase required) reports the analysis, using LC-MS, of 252 commercially available spices in the Singapore market for 14 synthetic dyes. In 18 out of these (7.1%) at least 1 illegal dye was detected at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 114 mg/kg. Besides potential health risks, presence of these adulterants also reflects the economic motivations behind their fraudulent use. The authors conclude that their findings in emphasise the need for increased public awareness, stricter enforcement, and continuous monitoring of illegal synthetic dyes in spices to ensure Singapore’s food safety.
