Selvarani Elahi's Posts (452)

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13563111460?profile=RESIZE_710xA recent review by FranZ Ulberth and Robert Koeber describes the role of RMs in food authenticity testing, including their applications in method validation, calibration, quality control, and the definition of conventional measurement scales.

It also reviews the availability of RMs that can be used in measurement procedures to authenticate food. Furthermore, the applications of RMs in targeted adulterant detection methods, for compositional parameters used to authenticate foods and food supplements, isotopic measurements, untargeted food authenticity testing methods, and detection and quantification of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), are explored.

The review concludes by recommending the development of research grade test materials or representative test materials to harmonise untargeted testing methods and improve comparability of results across laboratories and over time.

Access the full review:ย DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-025-05743-0

The review has also been added to the Quality section of the FAN website.

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๐Ÿ“ฅ๐Ÿงพ๐Ÿชง๐Ÿ”–ย EFF-CoP promotional materials are ready for distribution.ย To help spread the word and engage new members, EFF-CoP has developed a range ofย promotional materialsย designed to inform, inspire, and connect!

Hereโ€™s what you can find:

  • Leafletย - A quick and clear introduction to the EFF-CoP mission, objectives, and activities. Perfect for events, classrooms, and partners.
  • Stickersย - Fun, visual reminders of the EFF-CoP identity - great for students, notebooks, or toolkits.
  • Bookmarksย - A small but meaningful way to stay connected with EFF-CoP while promoting learning and awareness.

These materials reflect the heart of the project:ย to build a robust, collaborative European network focused on eradicating food fraudย through collaboration, innovation, and shared knowledge.

๐ŸŒย EFF-CoPโ€™s website and HUBย are currently under construction and will be available soon.

By becoming a member, you will be able to read and write articles focused on food fraud, and engage in conversations with people, experts, and stakeholders who are passionate about this topic. You will also be able to download all promotional materials.

In the meantime, stay tuned toย EFF-CoPโ€™s LinkedIn profile, where we will keep you informed about all upcoming updates.

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13540656893?profile=RESIZE_400xThe Instutute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) has published a Technical Brief on the difference between Food Risks vs. Hazards.

John Pointsย (FAN's very own Technical Director) and Peter Wareing dissect this critical distinction with clarity and real-world relevance. From unpacking ISO terminology to examining practical case scenarios, such as allergen mislabelling or aflatoxins in confectionery, this is essential reading for anyone involved in food production, safety, or regulation.

The brief explores:
โ€“ How to assess risk magnitude using likelihood and consequence
โ€“ When to withdraw, recall, or trade through
โ€“ Why pre-emptive planning beats reactive chaos
โ€“ What โ€˜tolerable riskโ€™ really means under UK law.

Access this free Technical Brief here.

This brief has also been added to the 'Report' part of the 'Tools /Guides /Reports' tab of FAN's Food Fraud Prevention section.

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13536496469?profile=RESIZE_710xThe UK National Meaurement Laboratory (NML) at LGC has shared a case study on a groundbreaking method for DNA meat species quantitation. This method, funded by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), has now been officially published as a European standard (EN 18033:2024) by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN).

Released in January 2025, this is the first harmonised standard for the relative quantitation of horse DNA in food samples and was initiated following the 2013 horse meat incident which challenged consumer confidence in the quality and authenticity of the food they were buying. The standard provides business operators, regulators, and compliance authorities with a robust and repeatable approach for determining the level of meat adulteration in raw beef products.

This milestone represents a significant advancement in food authenticity and food fraud prevention testing, ensuring greater transparency and trust in the food industry.

Read more about thisย case study.

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EFF-CoP Editorial Board

13521194069?profile=RESIZE_584x๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ” EFF-CoP Editorial Board๐Ÿ“๐Ÿ’ก

The European Food Fraud Community of Practice (EFF-CoP) Editorial Boardย has been created to ensure knowledge flows freely to help experts unite, and members to shape the conversation!

The EFF-CoPย  Editorial Boardย is comprised of a team of passionate professionals ๐Ÿ† dedicated to delivering insightful, high-quality content tailored to our members' interests. Each article will be written by specialists in their fields, ensuringย accuracy, depth, and practical insights. All EFF-CoP members are invited to actively participate in shaping our content by engaging with our LinkedIn page.

This Editorial Board isnโ€™t just about writing - itโ€™s aboutย listeningย andย collaborating! Usingย LinkedIn pollsย ๐Ÿ“Š, EFF-CoP willย ask YOU, our community, to vote on the topics that matter most. This way, every article will reflect real needs, real concerns, and real expertise!

All these articles will be uploaded to the upcoming EFF-HUB, a dynamic digital platform designed to connect minds, foster innovation, and provide invaluable resources. Only registered members will have access to Good Practice Recommendations, factsheets, case studies, educational content and a forum - all aimed at strengthening the global fight against food fraud.

EFF-CoP invitesย YOU to be part of this journey!ย Engage with our polls, suggest topics, and help shape the future of EFF-CoP!

Together, we can build a thriving, knowledge-rich communityย andย strengthen our global fight against food fraud!

๐ŸŽ‰ย Stay tuned for the launch of the EFF-CoP website and HUB, upcoming articles, and letโ€™s shape the future of food fraud detection and prevention together!ย ๐Ÿ™Œ

Please visit the the FAN forย EFF-CoPย for all EFF-CoP updates.

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The Food Authenticity Online Conference โ€“ Analysis for Authenticity, was held online on February 11-12 2025.

Over the two days, the >800 attendees, had the opportunity to listen to the keynote speeches of the Chief Scientific Advisers for Defra (Professor Gideon Henderson) and FSA (Professor Robin May) who both emphasised the importance of science and evidence in underpinning government policy and decision making. They also highlighted governmentโ€™s critical role in supporting the development of new technology and innovation, allowing us to address future challenges in the food system.

Our speakers from day one explained untargeted testing and machine learning in engaging & understandable terms, showing that AI applications have been in use for decades. We also learned just how much authenticity research Defra and FSA is doing to try and stay ahead of fraudsters to protect legitimate businesses and consumers.

On day two, speakers highlighted the importance of authenticity reference databases/ datasets, their reliability and the accessibility of such data. We also heard how we need to have greater and continued cross sector collaboration to be more effective in detecting and preventing food fraud in the global food supply chain.

The conference recordings are now available here.

Presentations from both days are also available at the links below.

ย Day 1: 11 February 2025

ย Day 2: 12 February 2025

1. Defra and FSA Food Authenticity Research_Sophie Rollinson_Bhavna Parmar: view

1. Keynote_Professor Robin May_Chief Scientific Advisor, FSA: view

2. Best practice in building databases with machine learning_Kate Kemsley: view

2. The European food fraud community of practice (EFF-CoP) project_Saskia Van Ruth: view

3. Emerging methods for verifying the country of origin of food_Helen Grundy: view

3. Cross government collaboration for enhanced resilience, dissemination & training_Selvarani Elahi: view

4. Analytical tools to support the verification of alternative proteins_Rosario Romero: view

4. Benefits of data sharing for industry_Ruth McDonald: view

5. Developing omics-based tools to verify the provenance of food and beverages_Renata Garbellini: view

5.The benefits of internationally harmonised standards_Sara Gibbs:ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  view

6. Untargeted LCMS to identify markers_Arne Dubecke: view

6. How effective are screening/point of contact approaches?_Stephanieย  ย Heaney: view

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7. Food authenticity testing with Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)_Gavin Nixon: view

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For anyone who attended and hasn't yet completed the very short feedback survey, we'd love to hear your views please.

Thank you

Selvarani

FAN Executive Director

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13469528671?profile=RESIZE_584xOn February 12th, a virtual gathering of experts, researchers, and policymakers took place at theย Analysis 4 Authenticityย Online Food Authenticity Conference, hosted by theย Food Authenticity Network.

Among the key speakers wasย Professor Saskia van Ruth, coordinator ofย EFF-CoP, who took the stage and introduced the project, a collaborative initiative designed to strengthen cooperation in the fight against fraudulent food practices. She emphasized how EFF-CoP is working to bridge the gaps - bringing experts together and reinforcing food integrity across global supply chains.

Updates will also be added to theย FAN EFF-CoP page.

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In the heart of Amsterdam, on January 15-16 2025, a group of passionate partners[1]ย came together to officially embark on an important journey -ย the fight against food fraud. This moment marked the beginning ofย EFF-CoP, a collective effort dedicated to making food systems more transparent, authentic, and resilient. With a shared vision, the partners made a powerful commitment to:

๐ŸŒย Enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing
๐Ÿ“–ย Develop and disseminate best practices
๐Ÿš€ย Promote innovative learning and capacity building
๐Ÿ”ย Strengthen food authenticity, traceability, and transparency
๐Ÿคย Expand and sustain a vibrant community through EFF-HUB
๐ŸŒฑย Ensure long-term viability and impact

Over the course of two inspiring days, Work Package Leaders and partners, took the stage, presenting their ideas, brainstorming strategies, and setting ambitious goals - not just for the projectโ€™s success, but for its lasting legacy beyond its official duration. But it wasnโ€™t all work; they also cooked together, danced together, and built the kind of trust and camaraderie that turns a group of professionals into a true team.

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In the coming months,ย EFF-CoP will launch its official website and EFF-HUB, a dynamic digital platform designed to connect minds, foster innovation, and provide invaluable resources. Members will have access to Good Practice Recommendations, factsheets, case studies, educational content and a forum - all aimed at strengthening the global fight against food fraud.

But learning wonโ€™t be confined to static resources.ย EFF-CoP is set to revolutionize engagementย with interactive activities likeย food fraud festivals, gamified training sessions, living labs, webinars, podcasts, and hands-on workshops.

Whether youโ€™re an expert, a researcher, a policymaker, or simply someone who cares about the integrity of the food on your plate -ย you are welcome to join. The fight against food fraud needs a community, and that community starts here.

[1]ย UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, AGROKNOW IKE, SMART AGRO HUB, NOFIMA AS, WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY, REZOS BRANDS, LGC LIMITED, 8D GAMES BV, DELOITTE LIMITED, RETE INTERNAZIONALE PER LE PICCOLEE MEDIE IMPRESE, EUROFINS ANALYTICS FRANCE SAS, WENGER-TRAYNER UNIPESSOAL LDA, AUTORIDADE SEGURANCA ALIMENTAR E ECONOMICA, SSAFE, International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements - EU Group, FIIN LTD, UDRUGA DIH AGRIHRANA HRVATSKA, Food Fraud Prevention Think Tank LLC, Stichting Fraude Film Festival, Stichting FSSC.

Updates will also be added to the FAN EFF-CoP page.

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13463655479?profile=RESIZE_710xApplications are invited for a temporary post of a Food Fraud Network Researcherย within UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science.

The role is part of the European Food Fraud Community of Practice (EFF-CoP), an initiative under Horizon Europe [grant no. 101180529], which is coordinated by University College Dublin. This position focuses on facilitating engagement, analysing the Communityโ€™s network characteristics, and collate and promote educational resources on food fraud prevention and detection, while targeting a wide range of stakeholders.
ย 
We are seeking a skilled combined researcher/networker who is familiar with the food supply sector and with a strong ability to analyse and map social networks. The ideal candidate will also be proficient in sourcing, extracting, and processing relevant training and educational materials to support our initiatives. The purpose of this position is to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and capacity-building within the community in collaboration with the rest of the team, ultimately advancing efforts to combat food fraud and enhance the resilience of the food sector across the EU.
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Particular to this position:ย We are seeking a dynamic networker and researcher with expertise in the EUโ€™s food fraud landscape. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of the challenges and strategies involved in combating food fraud within Europe.
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Salary Range: โ‚ฌ40,000 - โ‚ฌ45,000 Per Annum
Appointment on the above range will be dependent upon qualifications and experience.
ย 
Closing date: 12:00 noon (local Irish time) on the 7th of March 2025.
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Applications must be submitted by the closing date and time specified. Any applications which are still in progress at the closing time of 12:00 noon (Local Irish Time) on the specified closing date will be cancelled automatically by the system. UCD are unable to accept late applications.
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UCD do not require assistance from Recruitment Agencies. Any CVs submitted by Recruitment Agencies will be returned.
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To apply visit the UCD website.
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FAN 2024 Global Food Fraud Report

13454783085?profile=RESIZE_584xThis reportย provides a summary of global food fraud reports in 2024 from three of the worldโ€™s leading commercial food fraud incident collation tools: FoodChain ID Food Fraud Database, HorizonScan and Safety HUD.

Food fraud reports published by global regulatory agencies during 2024 do not provide evidence of a consistent, significant trend during 2024, and in fact, are like those seen in 2023. The activity associated with official food fraud and food safety reports remained fairly consistent across the four quarters of 2024.

The top three commodities with the most food fraud reports varies depending on the source of reports and the tool used:

  • Using official reports only, Beveragesโ€™, โ€˜Processed foodsโ€™ and โ€˜Milk & diary productsโ€™.
  • Using official, media & peer reviewed publication reports, โ€˜Seafoodโ€™, โ€˜Honeyโ€™ and โ€˜Dairyโ€™.

Although โ€˜milk & dairy productsโ€™ is the only common commodity in the top three foods with the greatest number of reports above, seven commodities are common in the top ten foods from both the average of official reports only and data from Food Chain ID. In fact, many of these commodities are also common in Food Chain IDโ€™s data over a ten-year period, demonstrating that these foods are most reported as being fraudulent, year on year.

It should be noted that the featuring of commodities in this report does not necessarily mean that these are the worldโ€™s most fraudulent foods, as many of these commodities are often the subject of targeted sampling and analysis by regulators and inter-agency operations conducted by Europol, Interpol etcโ€ฆ Other factors can also have an influence, for example, the number of peer reviewed publications on commodity-specific authenticity issues.

ย The number of official food fraud reports published in 2024, by an average of forty-seven sources, is very low at only ~8% of food safety reports. There were no new sources of food fraud data reported by regulatory agencies in 2024. If analysis of official food fraud reports is to be meaningful, more regulatory agencies should publish their data in an open access format.

Botanical and animal origin fraud were the most reported type of food fraud in 2024, followed by use of non-food substance and dilution. Of these frauds, using non-food substances in food has the potential to do the most harm as seen in the Sudan dyes in chilli powder and melamine in infant formula incidents.

This report is the second annual report to be produced for this Partner project.

Platinum and Gold FAN Partners receive quarterly dashboard reports at the end of each quarter. Please contact FAN, if you are interested in receiving these reports.

Commercial food fraud incident collation tools are not all the same; there are differences in purpose, how data are classified, collected and curated. Before choosing a tool, it is important to understand what it does so that the most appropriate tool for the intended purpose is selected.

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13451272699?profile=RESIZE_400xMembers of the Global Alliance on Food Crime (GAFC) had a very busy week when they met up in Edinburgh during December last year (2024).

Representatives from the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency(CFIA) and USA FDA made the long journey to Scotland to join up with UK representatives, Food Standards Scotlandโ€™s Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit and FSAโ€™s National Food Crime Unit, to discuss all things food crime.

As a bonus, all those attending were able to take part in Opson/EMPACT event, which was also taking placeย in Edinburgh at the same time. Opson is an annual operation, led by Europol, which targets fake and unsafe food and beverages.ย  This event was attended by law enforcement and regulators from across Europe and was a fantastic opportunity for GAFC members to interact with their European counterparts and discuss common issues. There was also an opportunity to formally showcase GAFC work and future plans in the form of a presentation given by GAFC members Murray from DAFF and Jodi from the CFIA.

In terms of the GAFC meeting, a significant number of matters were discussed and an action plan, designed to deliver the GAFC strategic objectives and developing processes that will allow joint activity to be undertaken by member countries, was agreed.ย  These discussions were very positive and will see the GFACโ€™s work progress over the next 12 months.ย 

ย In addition, The Food Authenticity Networkโ€™s (FAN) very own Executive Director, Selvarani Elahi, addressed the group on the work of FAN and gave an overview of the new the European Food Fraud Community of Practice (EFF-CoP) project that FAN is a partner of. This three-year Horizon Europe project aims to revolutionise the combat against food fraud and enhance transparency in food supply chains. Further information can be found on the FAN EFF-CoP page or its LinkedIn page.ย  All GFAC members agreed to consider partnering with FAN and see how they could assist FAN in extending its reach in each member country.

The group also took some time to meet with representatives from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to find out more about the work they are doing globally and how the GAFC could assist some of this work from a food crime perspective moving forward. Further meetings will take place early in 2025 to map out exactly how the GAFC can support UNIDOโ€™s work in this regard.

GAFC members will take the time to meet regularly during 2025, working collaboratively to deliver the GAFC action plan and consider options for additional joint activity on common issues.ย 

Regular updates will be provided over the coming months, however, further information on the work of the GAFC can be obtained by emailing the Chair of the GAFC, Ron McNaughton at ron.mcnaughton@fss.scot.

The December update has also been added to the 'Global Alliance on Food Crime' page on this website. Further information on the members of the GAFC will be added soon so watch that page......ย 

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The Food Authenticity Network team, led by our Executive Director, Selvarani Elahi attended the kick-off meeting of the European Food fraud Community of Practice (EFF-CoP) project in Amsterdam.

Led by Professor Saskia van Ruth, the project brings together a community of scientists, regulators, small- and large-sized businesses,ย laboratoriesย and other stakeholdersย to create a research and innovation ecosystem to enhance food authenticity and traceability.

The event was highly interactive including meeting charades, a cooking workshop to cook our dinner, lots of creative workshops and a flash mob dance on the streets of Amsterdam.

The Food Authenticity Network is very excited to be a Project Partner, leading Work Package 2 (Establishment of needs & developing a future research agenda that will address these needs).

We have created a page on FAN for EFF-CoP in which weโ€™ll be updating on project progress.

Please visit this page, follow EFF-CoP and join us in the fight against food fraud!

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Introduction to databases for non-targeted, multianalyte analytical methods

This eSeminar was based on theย Food Integrity Scientific Opinion on databases, and introduces the viewer to the subject of the design, structure, and limitations of databases for non-targeted multianalyte methods. Examples of relational databases will be provided, and common challenges discussed. Guidance and recommendations for troubleshooting are also provided along links to useful sources of additional information.

This e-seminar is intended for individuals currently working within the non-targeted food testing , the food industry and those involved with the UK official control system. The production of this e-seminar was co-funded by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Defra, the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland and the Department for Science Innovation and Technology via the Government Chemist, under the Joint Knowledge Transfer Framework for Food Standards and Food Safety Analysis.

A copy has also been added to our eSeminar Training Page.

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An Ode to Food Authenticity

Food fraud is a serious global issue that is inextricably linked to food safety and negatively impacts legitimate food business and consumers. By greater cross-sector, multi-disciplinary and multi-country collaboration, we can be better prepared to fight food fraud.

The FAN Team got together withย our colleagues and collaborators to produce โ€˜An Ode to Food Authenticityโ€™.ย We hope you enjoy it.

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13420552478?profile=RESIZE_710xThe National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) of the UK Food Standards Agency has issued anย AMBER Food Crime Alert on theย Risk ofย Document Fraud in Laboratory Results.

WHY NFCU IS ISSUING THIS ALERT?
There has been an increase in the use of fraudulent laboratory results being seen in issues that have been investigated by the National Food Crime Unit.

As such, this alert is being issued so that any business within the food supply chain who use testing results as a means to assess food safety, compliance with legislative requirements or to approve the use of a product or supplier can be aware of the recommendations raised in this alert.

ACTION RECOMMENDED
If you have reason to believe that a test result you are being shown may be false, we recommend taking the following actions:

  1. Review the document carefully. Look for any errors in wording or layout, including differences between dates that appear on the certificates.
  2. Layout issues could include shadowing or misalignment around key data including dates, signatures or data values.ย 
  3. If reviewing the documentation on site, ask to see original emails or review the results directly through result portals (if available). Do not rely on second hand references to results such as excel spreadsheets - these may be used legitimately for companies to consolidate and present trends, but should not be accepted as an alternative to sample certificates.
  4. Consult the laboratory name on the certificate if in doubt, or report to the National Food Crime Unit at: Food Crime Confidential or by freephone on 0800 028 1180. For non UK mobiles or calls from overseas please use 0207 276 8787.ย 
  5. Where there are concerns that testing results are false or not authentic, consideration should be given whether this introduces a food safety concern, or food safety non-compliance, in particular when the test results are a legal requirement.ย 
  6. Be aware of the risks of document fraud for other certificates such as third party assurance certificates, Protected Designation certificates or product specifications and report any other concerns around document fraud using the information above.

CONTACT NFCU -ย If you become aware of information relevant to this Food Crime Alert, please share with NFCU via:

  • WEBSITE โ€“ visit food.gov.uk and click 'Report' at the top of the page.
  • TELEPHONE โ€“08000 28 11 80.
  • EMAIL โ€“ foodcrime@food.gov.uk.

Please quote the alert number A003 in correspondence. Our processes enable us to handle information discreetly.

Readย full alert.

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13384705694?profile=RESIZE_400xThis E-seminar will introduce the viewer to the subject of sampling approaches for food analysis, focusing on those used by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Food sampling involves taking a sub-sample from a larger consignment to gain insight as to its composition. It performs an essential function in providing intelligence and evidence on the safety and authenticity of food and feed on the market, supporting enforcement action, where needed, to protect consumers. The process for undertaking sampling can be expensive and resource intensive, and therefore needs to be delivered in a coordinated and targeted manner to be effective in addressing identified gaps.

This e-seminar provides information to promote a better understanding of different sampling approaches that can be used in different situations.

This e-seminar was produced by the Joint Knowledge Transfer Framework for Food Standards and Food Safety Analysis, funded by the Food Standards Agency, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Food Standards Scotland and the Department for Science Innovation and Technology via the Government Chemist.

This eSeminar has been added to the eSeminar tab of theย FAN Training sectionย and can also be viewed here:

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UK Food Security Report 2024 published

13329774079?profile=RESIZE_710xThe UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the UK Food Security Report 2024.ย This report sets out an analysis of statistical data relating to food security. This reportย examines past, current, and future trends relevant to food security, to present the best available understanding of food security at the time of publication; the headlines under the following 5 themes are:

Theme 1: Global Food Availability

  • Continued stable growth in the production of food, despite geopolitical
    and climate shocks.
  • The global trading system in food has also been stable.
  • The number of undernourished people around the world is increasing.
  • Climate change, nature loss and water insecurity pose significant
    risks to the ability of global food production to meet demand over the
    longer term.
  • There is weak productivity growth globally which makes this more
    challenging.

Theme 2: UK Food Supply Sources

  • The UKโ€™s overall balance of trade and production is broadly stable.
  • Extreme weather events continue to have a significant effect onย domestic production.
  • The UK continues to be highly dependent on imports to meetย consumer demand for fruit, vegetables and seafood.
  • Long term decline in the UKโ€™s natural capital is a pressing risk to UKย food production.

Theme 3: Food Supply Chain Resilience

  • Russiaโ€™s invasion of Ukraine caused a spike in input costs such asย energy and fertiliser.
  • Agri-food sector labour shortages continue.
  • While there was a sharp fall in volume of imports of Feed, Food andย Drink to the UK in 2021, imports have increased slightly since thenย and the EU remains the UKโ€™s largest external supplier.
  • Single points of failure in food supply chains pose resilience risks.
  • Many food businesses have shown resilience and recovery in responseย to shocks, but investment levels are not back to levels before the priceย shock in 2022.

Theme 4: Household Food Security

  • While a large majority of households in the UK continue to be foodย secure, there has been a notable decrease in food secure households.
  • There has been a notable rise in inflation both overall and for theย category of food and non-alcoholic beverages since the beginning ofย 2021.
  • Most people do not meet government dietary recommendations, withย those from lower-income groups less likely to meet recommendations thanย those from the highest-income groups.
  • Rates of food insecurity vary greatly by demographics, with a notableย difference in levels and experiences between income groups.

Theme 5: Consumer Confidence and Food Safety.

  • The results of UK consumer surveys indicate that the levels of trust inย Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS)ย have remained relatively high.
  • There has been an increase in consumers reporting concernsย (prompted) about food prices since 2021.
  • Laboratory confirmed reports of pathogens that can cause foodborneย gastrointestinal disease and the proportional trends in foodborneย disease outbreak surveillance data generally remained relativelyย stable over the period 2019 to 2023, with the exception of the COVID19 pandemic years.
  • Of the businesses inspected, analysis indicates an upward trend inย food business hygiene compliance. However, there is still a backlog inย the number of businesses awaiting inspection.

I was proud to serve on the Expert Elicitation Groupย for Theme 5 and we are delighted to see that the Food Authenticity Network is featured asย Case Study 1 under 'Sub-theme 2: Food Safety and Authenticity'.

Also under this sub-theme, section 5.2.5 Food Crime describes the work of the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) and Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unitย (SFCIU), and also includes 'Case Study 4: Strengthening the lines of defence againstย food crime'.ย 

Read the full report at:ย UK Food Security Report 2024

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A weight of evidence approach is typically employed for food authenticity investigations in situations where screening tests do not provide a definitive answer, or where there is no applicable legal limit for what is being evaluated. In these types of situations, gathering and assessing several different forms of evidence may aid in coming to a conclusion on the authenticity of a sample/product.

This e-seminar is based on a โ€œToolkit to Support Weight of Evidence Approaches for Food Authenticity Investigations,โ€ that has been published by Defra, and provides guidance and best practice on how to approach a weight of evidence assessment, in order to verify the authenticity of food and drink samples where no single confirmatory test result is currently available. It has been designed to support anyone who is required to make an assessment on the authenticity of a food or drink sample based on a combination of information from several independent sources but may also be of interest to anyone in the food and drink industry who undertakes supply chain audits and due diligence checks as part of any authenticity investigation.

This e-seminar was produced byย the Joint Knowledge Transfer Framework for Food Standards and Food Safety Analysis, which is co-funded by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland and the Department for Science Innovation and Technology via the Government Chemist at LGC.

This eSeminar has been added to the eSeminar tab of the FAN Training section and can also be viewed here:

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13208864101?profile=RESIZE_584xThe FAN annual call for new Centres of Expertise (CoEs) was launched in the last FAN Newsletter; the applications received were reviewed by FAN and recommendations for acknowledgement discussed and agreed with the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Food Standards Agency & Food Standards Scotland.ย ย 

We are delighted to announce that the following five organisations have been acknowledged as Food Authenticity CoEs:ย ย 

  • Edinburgh Scientific Servicesย 
  • Glasgow Scientific Servicesย 
  • Hampshire Scientific Servicesย 
  • Isle of Man Government Laboratoryย 
  • Tayside Scientific Services.ย ย 

These organisations are all Public Analyst laboratories and have a wealth of experience in food authenticity analysis in the context of official controls. Two Public Analyst laboratories were already recognised as CoEs, and now all seven will be listed as food authenticity CoEs in a separate category called โ€˜Public Analystsโ€™.ย 

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Campden BRI becomes a FAN Partner!

13208684493?profile=RESIZE_584xWe are thrilled to announce that Campden BRI has become a FAN Partner!

With over 4,000 member companies in 90 countries, Campden BRI is the trusted, premier, independent technical partner of choice for the food and drink industry. Leveraging its 250-plus world-renowned technical experts, it helps to make food safer, tastier, healthier, affordable, sustainable, convenient, and innovative, underpinned by investment in meaningful research and science.

Campden BRI offers an extensive range of services including consultancy, analysis and testing, processing, contract research, manufacturing support and guidance, training, and regulatory and labelling advisory services. Members and clients benefit from industry-leading facilities for analysis, product and process development, and sensory and consumer studies. Campden BRI is ISO9001 certified and many of the analytical services are UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) ISO17025 accredited.ย  (www.campdenbri.co.uk )

FAN already acknowledges Campden BRI as a Food Authenticity Centre of Expertise; with Campden BRIโ€™s industry knowledge and expertise, this partnership enhances our ability to offer even more robust and industry relevant resources to support members to combat hashtag#foodfraud and ensure hashtag#supplychainintegrity, furthering our mission to protect consumers and legitimate businesses worldwide.

This partnership is a significant step towards a safer and more authentic global food supply!

We're delighted to offer ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—•๐—ฅ๐—œ ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ% ๐—ผ๐—ณ๐—ณ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—™๐—”๐—ก ๐—ฃ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜‚๐—บ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—š๐—ผ๐—น๐—ฑ ๐—ฃ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ (such Partners receive our quarterly global food fraud dashboard), for further information, please contact us at Secretary@foodauthenticity.global. Thank you.

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