News

A new study from the Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI) provides a sobering assessment of progress towards transforming global food systems.

The study, published in Nature Food, represents the most comprehensive performance assessment of food systems to date, covering197 countries and 44 indicators, the study assesses performance across diets and health, environment and production, livelihoods and equity, governance, and resilience. It concludes that, for most indicators, the majority of countries are not currently on course to meet internationally agreed 2030 goals.

What this means for food authenticity

Food authenticity and food fraud prevention are part of the wider challenge of building resilient and trusted food systems. Complex supply chains, economic pressures and disruption can create vulnerabilities that increase fraud risk.

The findings reinforce the importance of early risk identification, reliable intelligence, collaboration and evidence-based decision making. For FAN, this underlines the value of bringing together industry, regulators, laboratories and academia to share expertise and strengthen food fraud prevention.

A new SSAFE Knowledge Paper, What You Need to Know About Food Additives, provides an overview of what food additives are, why they are used and how their safety and use are regulated internationally.

Of particular relevance to the Food Authenticity Network, the paper highlights that additive controls extend beyond safety. Under Codex principles, additives must not mislead consumers, disguise poor-quality raw materials or undesirable practices, or alter a food in a deceptive way.

Identity and purity are also important. International specifications help ensure that additives are what they claim to be and meet appropriate quality standards, while also helping to guard against fraud in higher-value ingredients.

Labelling is another key element of transparency. Additives used in pre-packed foods should be declared appropriately, including their function, helping consumers understand what a food contains and why an additive has been used.

The paper demonstrates the close links between food safety, authenticity, accurate labelling and consumer trust.

Read the full SSAFE Knowledge Paper to find out more.

EFSA has published its 2025 Annual Report on Emerging Risks and Horizon Scanning Activities, summarising its work to identify new and evolving threats to food and feed safety. The report includes an update on the use of food fraud information to support emerging-risk analysis.

EFSA’s FFRAUD-ER project has developed a computational model to identify food fraud incidents that may act as drivers of emerging food safety risks.

The project was completed in 2025 following model validation, stakeholder engagement and confirmation of its relevance by the EU Food Fraud Network.

EFSA reports that advanced natural language processing and machine-learning methods can effectively analyse historical food fraud data and support the identification of fraud-related emerging food safety risks.

EFSA will continue applying the model to the Joint Research Centre’s Food Fraud Monthly Reports and EU agri-food fraud suspicion reports. Methods including weighting, generative AI and logistic regression will be used to identify and prioritise potential food safety risks and support horizon scanning.

Source: EFSA, 2025 Annual Report on Emerging Risks and Horizon Scanning Activities, Supporting Publication 2026.

Food consultancy company The Acheson Group (TAG) have blogged about the current risk of corporate "identity theft" scams in the US food industry.  You can read the full blog here.  TAG provide generic mitigation advice in their blog, and promote their own consultancy services for more detailed advice.

The fraud is being focused, in particular, on Food Facility Registration information and import IEEPA refunds. Both are seeing an increasing trend of communications to food manufacturers and importers, in which the scammers are posing as government or registrar representatives to solicit secure company and personal information. This information is then used by the scammers to falsely claim government payments and refunds. 

Both the FDA and the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) are have issued warnings to the food industry.  This mirrors the trend seen around the globe, with increasingly sophisticated corporate-level fraud involving ghost companies, falsified trade documentation and traceability trails.

Thanks to FAN Advisory Board member Quincy Lissaur for flagging this warning to us.

It is an analytical challenge to differentiate natural raspberry flavouring from its synthetic analogue when testing a finished food product.  One analytical marker is α-ionone. In natural flavouring this compound is predominantly a single enantiomer (a "mirror image" structural arrangement), whilst in the artificial version it is a racemic mix (both mirror images in equal proportion).  But analytical differentiation needs specialist (chiral) chromatography columns and sometimes better sensitivity than standard aroma extraction such as SPME-GC can provide.

In this paper (open access) the authors use hydrodistillation extraction and concentration using a Clevenger apparatus.  They optimise the conditions for various sample types such as icecream and syrups.  They then couple this witht chiral GC-MS analysis.

They report that their method enables the precise separation and quantification of the R- and S- enantiomers of α-ionone, and the enantiomeric ratio is used to verify authenticity. It enabled detection of trace concentrations of α-ionone (LOD 5 × 10⁻⁴ mg/kg, LOQ 1.7 × 10⁻³ mg/kg) in various food samples, minimized solvent consumption and allowed for the accurate quantification of minor S-enantiomers without the need for isotopically labeled standards.

As a proof of concept, they applied the method to 13 commercial food samples.  They report significant differences between natural and synthetic aromas, with the majority of products containing synthetic racemic mixtures.

They conclude that their method represents a practical tool for routine control of the authenticity of raspberry aroma in foods, including heterogeneous and fat-rich matrices.

Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash

The annual EFSA report on their horizon scanning activities has been published here.

It primarily has a food safety focus.  Although there is a short section on Food Fraud, no specific risks or concerns are highlighted.  Rather, the report references EFSA;s ongoing use of digital (AI assisted) risk prioritisation tools to provide insight from sources such as the JRC monthly collation of food fraud media reports (resources which are all signposted on FAN's Incident Trends pages).

Agavins are a mixture of polysaccharides of various chain lengths, extracted from agave, which are gaining increasing popularity as prebiotic food supplements.  Their global market is booming.

In this survey (open access) researchers tested 12 samples of “pure agave inulin” supplements from the Mexican retail market for exogenous sugars and polysaccharides.  They used a panel of methods including HPTLC, FTIR, HPAEC-PAD, and a commercial enzymatic kit for fructan detection.  Samples were compared to in-house references and authentic samples sourced directly from manufacturers.

Each test gives complementary information, and a single test is rarely definitive.  The authors conclude that the majority of their 12 samples were adulterated in some manner, including in manners which are easier to characterise such as bulking with polydextrin (4 of the 12 samples).

With thanks to FAN member Mercedes G Lopez for highlighting this publication.

Photo by May Sermonia on Unsplash

Rarely, in the many studies verifying olive oil authenticity, is it challenged whether the PDO regulatory specifications used as authentication benchmarks are still valid.

This review (open access) examines and challenges the topic.  The authors critically evaluate EU PDO extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) by integrated meta-analysis with bibliometric and regulatory assessment. They examine trends in scientific output, the temporal and geographical evolution of PDO registrations, and discrepancies between PDO specification limits and EU regulatory thresholds.

They report a marked increase in research activity over the past decade, primarily driven by Mediterranean producing countries, particularly Italy and Spain, with a recent shift towards sustainability and consumer-oriented studies. Currently, 115 PDO olive oils are registered in the EU, most (79%) were established before 2010, indicating limited recent registration evolution. Prediction intervals from the meta-analysis show that reported PDO EVOOs consistently outperform existing specification limits, suggesting that current thresholds may no longer capture the actual production performance and consumer needs.

They conclude that this misalignment highlights a critical gap between regulatory frameworks and production realities. Updating PDO specifications in line with contemporary evidence could strengthen their role as dynamic quality indicators, enhance product differentiation, and better support innovation and sustainability transitions within the olive oil sector.

The Food and Agriculture Office (FAO) of the United Nations & World Health Organisation have relaunched the promotion of their database of GM foods.

This public database is primarily intended as a search-tool for safety assessments of authorised GM foods. It can, however, also be used to search (by commodity, or by OECD reference number) for which GM foods are authorised in which territories, and for the traits and characteristics of different GM varieties.  We have added it to FAN's index of "authentic food" databases.

The GM Foods database is open access to read but only approved authorities can upload entries.

You can access the database here

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This monthly highlights report has been produced for FAN members by one of our Partner organisations, iComplai.

The report is an AI-generated prioritised digest.  It is blended from online regulatory and media reports of food fraud incidents and suspicions, giving a summary of each selected issue and suggested mitigation steps.

iComplai are one of a number of commercial providers of digital horizon scanning tools, many of whom are signposted on FAN on our Incident Trends hub.  We do not endorse any specific company.  We are grateful to iComplai for providing this free digest which we hope you find useful.

If you know of a tool which would be beneficial to signpost to our membership, or if you are interested in becoming a FAN Partner, then please get in touch.

The Food Fraud Prevention Think Tank (Professor John Spink's group at Michigan State University) is seeking views on the use of the term "illicit" in the context of food fraud.  This has an impact on international standardisation, as well as the framing of legislation and on the communication and lesson-learning from food fraud incidents.

See the blog here for further details.  The survey is very short (10 questions) and framed using the analagy of the shadowy organised crime gangs operating in the Lego collectables market.

A new peer-reviewed knowledge paper from SSAFE explores the opportunities, benefits and challenges of using whole genome sequencing (WGS) in food safety.

WGS is increasingly helping public health and regulatory authorities detect foodborne disease outbreaks, identify their sources and distinguish between closely related microorganisms. However, wider industry adoption still depends on overcoming technical, legal, regulatory and reputational concerns, as well as building the expertise needed to interpret results effectively.

The paper highlights broader lessons that are equally relevant to food authenticity: the value of robust analytical evidence, reliable traceability, harmonised approaches and the responsible sharing of data. [Refer also the 2021 Guidance note on NGS applications for food authenticity testing published by Defra’s Authenticity Methodology Working Group.]

Most importantly, it reinforces that complex food-system risks are best addressed through collaboration between industry, regulators, public health bodies and academia.

Read the paper: Whole Genome Sequencing for Food Safety | SSAFE Knowledge Paper

The Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland have published a new horizon-scanning report examining the food innovations most likely to shape regulatory and food-safety priorities in the UK over the next 5–15 years.

Technologies including precision fermentation, cellular agriculture, molecular farming, controlled-environment agriculture and 3D food printing offer exciting opportunities but they may also create new challenges for food authenticity, traceability and consumer confidence.

The report highlights the growing importance of robust analytical methods, clear product identity and specifications, transparent supply chains, accurate consumer information and collaboration between regulators, industry and researchers.

Preparing early will be essential to ensure that innovation is supported by the evidence, controls and assurance needed to maintain trust in the food system.

Read full report here.

This is the second FAN analysis this month, as the latest  EU Agri-Food Suspicions report, for June 2026, has followed in quick succession from the May 2026 report.  You can read all of the reports here.  

As well as a marked increase in the absolute number of suspicions recorded, there has been a increasing trend in the relative numbers of suspicions relating to unlicensed trade or import (top-right green bubble).  These primarily relate to products of animal origin but not exclusively - they include anything from biscuits to noodles.  There were sometimes clear food safety risks - ranging from diversion of unfit meat, to harvesting from shellfish beds that had been closed due to algal toxin outbreaks, to repurposing of seeds (which could be pesticide-treated) for food use.

Unlicenced trade is often accociated with document or certification fraud.  There were at least 3 suspicions of foods claiming an incorrect establishment license number.

Other suspicions that caught my eye:

• a continuing trend of "traditional" meat & seafood frauds - particularly bulking of frozen products with water, or bulking of processed foods such as sausages and kebab meat
• one case of a "natural" beetroot colour ingredient being, in fact Reactive Red 198

The report also flagged 3 cases of packaged foods being seized because the picture image was misleading (i.e. a more "premium" food than actually contained).  FAN have not included this category in our analysis, but it is a reminder to all food manufacturers that their label compliance checks must include the entire artwork, not just the ingredient declaration and nutritionals.

These EU AgriFood Suspicions reports are only one information source, presenting one approach to estimating fraud frequency.  There are many other approaches, each looking at different data for different purposes.  An overview can be found on FAN's "Incident Trends" page.

 Our interpretation of the Agrifood suspicion reports is subjective. In order to show consistent trends we have excluded cases which appear to be unauthorised sale but with no intent to mislead consumers (e.g. unapproved food additives, novel foods which are declared on pack), we have excluded unauthorised health claims on supplements, and we have excluded residues and contaminants above legal limits.  We have grouped the remaining incidents into crude categories.  Our analysis is intended only to give a high-level overview

This retail survey (open access) tested samples of chips (crisps), mayonnaises and salad dressing that claimed to be manufactured with either olive oil or avocado oil.  Retail samples were purchased in California in 2025 and 2026.  Because the authors had no access to the raw material specifications for each samples, they used the more generic FAME and sterol profile criteria from Codex Alimentarius Standard for Named Vegetable Oils and Olive Oil and Olive Pomace Oils (CXS 210-1999; CXS 33-1981) which are intended to encompass expected natural variability, and they also added an arbitrary 10% tolerance to account for confounding ingredients in the recipe and for processing changes.  They also produced their own model chips and mayonnaise as controls.

They report that:

• Forty-eight out of 54 avocado oil-labelled products were inconsistent with authentic compositional ranges.
• One out of 20 olive oil-labelled products were inconsistent with authentic compositional ranges.
• Fatty acid and sterol profiles identified compositional deviations.
• Key fatty acid and sterol authenticity markers remained largely unchanged during laboratory frying and emulsification.

Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash

Seeds are an essential input into organically-certified agriculture but their specification is sometimes unclear and their verification difficult.  They must be produced under organic (or at least sustainable) conditions, for a minimum of one generation, in the case of annual crops, and two generations in the case of biennial and perennial crops.  “Agroecological” seeds, not just those certified as organic, may be suitable depending upon the view of the Certification Body.

This review (open access) discusses the specifications and requirements for seeds used to raise certified Organic crops.  It lists characterisation differences with conventional seeds that have been proposed for different crops and the hypothesised causes of these differences (for example, higher glucosinolate levels in organic brassica seeds due to plant defence mechanisms in low-input systems).  It discusses all of the uncertainties and compounding factors such as genetic, regional and climate variations, and the development of chemometric classification models.

The authors collate state-of-the-art knowledge on organic seed production, including agronomic, regulatory, and market traits. They synthesize major analytical approaches to assess organic seed authentication, highlighting the potential of intrinsic compositional features through fingerprinting strategies as complementary tools from the traditionally used techniques based on physicochemical and physiological parameters (e.g., vigour, germination, purity).

They conclude that there is still a challenge in the practical application of academic research. The use of holistic approaches, such as omics, is limited by costly instrumentation and complex data processing. Advancing this field requires translating these findings into accessible tools by using the identified markers.  

Photo by Wolfgang Weiser on Unsplash

There is already a “failure to prevent fraud” offence in the UK Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA).  If a senior manager commits an offence then the company/organisations also commits the offence in the eyes of the law.  A “senior manager” can be anyone who’s role gave them the authority and autonomy to act in the illicit way they did; it is not limited to particular job titles in the organogram or hierarchical seniority.  However, there is a “due diligence” defence for the company if they have a strong anti-fraud compliance programme in place. 

If food fraud prosecutions are brought under the UK Crime and Policing Act enacted last month, however, there are important differences

• It applies to companies of any size (unlike the ECCTA which is limited to larger companies)
• There is no “due diligence” defence
• It includes offences conducted outside the UK

Although there is no “due diligence” defence, evidence of a strong compliance programme is still essential as this will inform the decision of whether it is in the public interest to prosecute.  Other mitigation advice echoes best practice in food fraud defence but with a more internal focus.  Companies should assess their internal vulnerabilities in terms of who in the organisation has the authority, autonomy, motivation and opportunity to commit fraud “on behalf of” the company.

Taken from an article by Osborne Clarke LLP – read the full article here.

Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash

The Authenticity Methodology Working Group (AMWG) evaluates scientific research developed within the UK Department of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs’ Food Authenticity Research Programme, ensuring methods developed are robust and advising on the wider application of methods.

This webpage  provides a summary of the group’s work in 2025. All have been previously reported on FAN but the annual summary is a useful collation with links to individual project reports.  They include advice on research projects:

• Bottled water sampling: 3^rd country spring water vs bottled drinking water
• Offal detection and speciation in meat products
• British heritage sheep meat traceability system:
• Honey NMR database
• New testing methodology for honey authentication
• Methods for oil authentication

It also includes the committee’s consultation response to proposed research on measuring folic acid in flour and authenticating alternative proteins.

You can find the annua summary here.

National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) industry update: July 2026 

NFCU updates include key risks affecting the food industry, practical steps to strengthen your response to food crime and updates on our current priorities.

In this edition: 

• Middle East Conflict – Supply Chain Concerns
• Distribution Fraud – Risks and How to Protect Your Business
• NFCU Support in Swansea Council Kebab Prosecution
• NFCU attend the EFF-COP Authentic Food Festival and Conference
• NFCU Engages Farming Community at Royal Three Counties Show

Read full update here and subscribe here.