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14th September 2016 by foodfraudadvisors

Food Fraud Alerts – top issues this month

Highlights from this month’s Food Fraud Report

Cheese buyback

In the USA, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is buying $20m worth of cheese in an attempt to improve prices.  The cheese will be given to food banks and pantries. read more

Cheese wheels on the shelves in diary production factory

Champagne doom

Champagne makers have warned of a looming shortage due to bad weather during the growing season, the worst in 60 years.  read more

Dairy prices turn a corner

Falling production and growing demand is said to be responsible for a  sudden sharp upturn (12.7%) in global dairy prices.  read more

Lead found in turmeric

Routine sampling by New York State (USA) food inspectors found high levels of lead in retail turmeric, leading to a recall of multiple brands in the USA.  read more

Spices and herbs in metal bowls and wooden spoons. Food and cuisine ingredients
Spices have long been susceptible to fraudulent adulteration

 

Allergenic adulteration of cumin

There has been a recall of cumin due to the presence of undeclared peanuts.  read more

Wheat markets in flux

Global wheat production volumes have smashed records for the fifth year in a row.  read more

 

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Filed Under: Food Fraud, Horizon Scanning

29th July 2016 by foodfraudadvisors

Authentic glaze, fake ice and false positives

It’s not exactly food fraud, in fact, it’s a fabulous case of mistaken identity for a genuine American delicacy; Krispy Kreme donuts.  These tasty treats caused plenty of trouble for Florida man Daniel Rushing after a police officer discovered flakes of donut glaze on the floor of his car after pulling him over for a minor traffic offence.  Unfortunately, the officer mistook the pieces of glaze for crystal meth.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Rushing man spent ten hours in jail after the officer performed two roadside drug tests on the sugary substances, which returned positive results for methamphetamine.  A state drug lab has since confirmed that it was a case of mistaken identity.  Rushing reported that although he had nothing to hide, he would “never let anyone search my car again”.

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Filed Under: Fun Food Facts

26th July 2016 by foodfraudadvisors

Future food fraud threats; an introduction to horizon scanning (archived)

Oops, this page has moved!

Click here for horizon scanning information

 

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Filed Under: Food Fraud, Horizon Scanning, Learn, VACCP, Vulnerability Assessments

29th June 2016 by foodfraudadvisors

Wine and cheese, a tale of authenticity

During my travels through the beautiful, giant world of the interverse this week, I came across two stories about ‘replica’ products.  Because I live and breathe food authenticity I follow stories like these with great interest.  My mission as an authenticity expert is to help people to make sense of the huge amounts of information, media-spin and noise around the integrity and authenticity of food, beverages and supplements.

As I read these two stories of ‘replica’ foods, I was struck by how utterly different they are from each other.  The first story is a tale of ‘replica’ cheese, which sounds like some kind of fake non-dairy product, perhaps masquerading as the real thing.  The question of whether a non-dairy product should be called ‘cheese’ hit the headlines in Europe earlier this year when a German court ruled that products made without animal milk cannot be called ‘cheese’, leaving vegan ‘cheese’ suppliers wondering what to call their products.  But this latest story had nothing to do with that; although the labelling of vegan cheese substitutes clearly has regulatory implications, I don’t consider this particular issue to be an authenticity problem as such; purchasers of vegan ‘cheese’ are most certainly aware that the product has been produced without animal milk.

The ‘replica’ cheese in this week’s story was parmesan, and no, not the kind containing unauthorised wood pulp by-products, which has also been in the news recently.  This time, it seems that cheese makers from the Italian provinces of  Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Mantua, who collectively identify their region as Parmigiano-Reggiano, have decided to pursue those from outside the area who use the product names Parmesan, Parmigiano and Reggiano for trademark breaches.  So the ‘replica’ cheese is in this story is cheese made in the style of Parmigiano and Reggiano, but not actually originating from that region.

Fake cheese authentic cheese

Is this an authenticity issue?  Perhaps.  In Europe, the cheeses in question are subject to rules of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).  Under these rules it is illegal to call a cheese Parmesan if it did not originate in Parmigiano-Reggiano and meet the strict manufacturing criteria of the Parmigiano-Reggiano Consorzio, an Italian consortium created by government decree.  In fact, US food giant Kraft had to rename its grated cheese ‘Pamesello’ in Europe to comply with these requirements.  In other parts of the world, the terms have come to be used as a generic name for the hard Italian cheese for which the region is known.  The Parmigiano-Reggiano Consorzio have decided to pursue sellers of cheese all over the world for claimed breaches of trademark.

Are the Italian-style cheeses in the news this week ‘replica’ cheeses?  No; they are real cheeses, made with animal milk and conforming to a certain regional style.  Would I call them inauthentic?  Perhaps.  Authentic food is food that is what it claims to be.  If a cheese is marketed with clear information about its place of origin, wherever that may be, then it is reasonable for a consumer to understand that it has been made in the style of Parma, rather than being made in Parma itself.  So according to my definition, that makes it authentic, at least when sold outside of Europe.  However, if the origin of the cheese is misrepresented by the seller, or on the label, then that makes the product inauthentic.  And, in most jurisdictions, illegal as well.

Replica wines

From ‘replica’ cheeses that are not exactly fake, my next stop on the web provided a fascinating insight into the emerging niche market of ‘replica’ wine.  Two companies are reinventing wine production and it is now possible to purchase a wine-like alcoholic beverage made without using grapes or fermentation processes.  In this case, I would say the use of the term ‘replica’ is perfect.  Ava Winery claims to have modelled its flavour profile on Dom Perignon’s Champagne, using a proprietary method that combines amino acids, sugars and ethanol in precise quantities.   Another company, Replica, offers a range of ‘masterful recreations’ of award-winning wines created by scientists using laboratory analyses of  key flavour characteristics.

While traditionalists may throw up their hands in horror at the thought of making that most noble of fermented drinks in a laboratory, there is nothing inauthentic about the beverages made by these two companies.  Both websites have very clear messages around the authenticity of their products.  Ava Winery states that their company is “in no way affiliated [with] Dom Pérignon® or Moët Hennessy USA, Inc. which does not endorse our products.”  Replica says that “Originality is overrated, especially when it’s overpriced.” Both are unapologetic about their mission to recreate fabulous flavours using science.  Replica’s range even includes a gorgeously packaged beverage called ‘Knockoff’ that is said to mimic a California Chardonnay.

Authentic, science-loving and beautiful-looking, what’s not to love?  I can’t wait to try some.

 

Credit: Replicawine.com
Replicawine.com

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Filed Under: Labelling

16th May 2016 by foodfraudadvisors

Food Fraud Survey

Have you ever been a victim of food fraud, either as a consumer or while working in the food industry?  It’s likely that at some point you have paid too much for a ‘premium’ product that was not exactly what it should have been.  Foods such as olive oil, organic products, fish and specialty beef products are commonly misrepresented to purchasers.  Take the food fraud survey to find out it you have been affected.

Take the survey

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

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