Ensuring food integrity and preventing food fraud is an ongoing challenge in 2020.
Based on what we have seen with tracking food fraud reports, added value clams (such as organic, “cage free,” halal, etc.) will continue to be an area that is prone to fraud without effective oversight.
In 2019, we captured reports of fraud involving many products labelled as organic, including eggs, coffee, chocolate, meat, apple juice, and vegetables.
Controls for food fraud
We also expect to see progress toward targeted efforts at ensuring the authenticity of high value products such as extra virgin olive oil, milk, and honey by organizations such as FCC, AOAC International, and others.
The Codex Alimentarius Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems is continuing their discussions about existing controls for fraud and the development of appropriate guidance for national authorities.
Finally, tools and resources to support an effective and streamlined approach to evaluating risk in raw materials are evolving at a rapid pace.
The food industry has access to a variety of tools and sources of data, and we expect these resources to improve both in functionality and in user interface over the coming years. Some of these resources include the Food Fraud Database, HorizonScan, and the SSAFE Food Fraud Tool.
The evolution of analytical methods, supply chain tracking, and data tools will enhance our ability to ensure food authenticity throughout the global supply chain.
