Food Fraud Advisors

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Food Fraud Risk Database

It’s huge, it’s completely free and open-access; no log-in required.  It’s our

Food Fraud Risk Information Database

Compiled by food fraud experts and containing information about hundreds of different food types, including past incidences of food fraud and emerging threats, you can use it to meet the requirements of your food safety management system, for

  • food fraud vulnerability assessments,
  • food safety risk assessments
  • hazards from intentional adulteration requiring preventive controls (FSMA)
  • pre-filtering and
  • horizon scanning for emerging threats

You can choose to ‘watch’ the database to receive notifications every time new information is added.  You can also watch individual food types (say “Beef”) to receive updates for just that food type.

Access is free, although if you want to receive notifications you will need to create a (free) Trello account.  We do not receive income from Trello for new sign-ups.

Check it out today

food fraud risk database
Food Fraud Risk Information database, created by Food Fraud Advisors, hosted by Trello.com

 

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Frequently asked questions

Vulnerability Assessment Tools – Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

 

What if I disagree with the results?

The Vulnerability Assessment Tool creates estimates of vulnerabilities using information entered by the user.  Users are encouraged to also enter their own estimates.  The reported results are based on the user’s estimates if they have been entered; if not, calculated results are used.

Why is the Vulnerability Assessment Tool an Excel spreadsheet instead of specialised software?

The tool was created for Quality Assurance Mangers, Food Safety Managers and HACCP Team members. It was created with Microsoft Excel because most of its intended users are familiar with excel and so can begin entering data as soon as they open the spreadsheet, with no special training.   Data can be copied, pasted and searched just as you would in any spreadsheet and results can be easily extracted for use in other documents. Blank and completed spreadsheets can and should be incorporated into a company’s controlled documents and record-keeping system and Microsoft Excel files are usually suitable for this purpose.

The tabular format of the data entry pages allows users to have a ‘whole picture’ visual understanding of the data that has been entered and the gaps that need to be filled.  Other types of software such as questionnaire-style assessments do not provide a visual overview and require information to be entered in a defined series of steps which can be frustrating. Within the tables of the Vulnerability Assessment Tools, colour-coding functions provide instant feedback about whether an answer affects vulnerability in a positive or negative way, which can be a valuable learning tool.

Can I copy the results into my own spreadsheet or other document?

Yes. The data can be copied, pasted, sorted and manipulated as in any spreadsheet. When copying from the tool use the excel function ‘paste special – values’, which will prevent pasting formulas that might return error values in a different document.

Do I have to purchase a new spreadsheet for each material that I need to assess?

No, you may make as many copies of this spreadsheet as you need for ONE food business in one manufacturing location.  You may not share it with other food businesses or take it when you change jobs.  For complete terms and conditions click here.

Is there a telephone number I can call for help and support with the tool?

Real-time support is coming soon. Until then, please email support@foodfraudadvisors.com with your query, including your preferred contact details and geographical location (for time zone purposes). We will contact you by telephone or Skype or email an answer to you.

Why are some of the cells password protected?

Protection has been applied to many of the cells in the vulnerability assessment spreadsheets.  There are a number of reasons for this, the most important of which is so that users do not accidentally ‘break’ the formulas which would be very easy to do if the cells were not locked.

Within the food fraud tools, the protection prevents users from making changes to the wording of the questions or the automatically generated answers.  To get an idea of how the cells are protected, download our free trial food fraud spreadsheet:  Try it free v3.0s

There is no password protection in the food defense tool.  Some cells have been protected to prevent accidental changes, but passwords have not been applied, so users may ‘unprotect’ any part of the spreadsheet if desired.

Can I have access to the formulas that generate the results?

If you disagree with the results the tools allow you to override them; the reported results are based on the user’s estimates if they have been entered; if not, calculated results are used.

If you think the methodology, including the risk calculations should be amended or you think there is an error in any formula please contact us. We want the Vulnerability Assessment Tools to be the best they can be and value your feedback.

Want to buy an unlocked version that is fully customisable?  Request a quote here.

My security settings will not allow me to run macros, is this a problem?

No problem; Food Fraud Advisors’ and AuthenticFoodCo’s Vulnerability Assessment Tools have been created without macros to keep things safe and secure and to prevent headaches with your internal IT systems.

Can I get a tax receipt?

Australian purchasers receive a tax invoice for GST purposes in their confirmation email.  Purchasers in other countries are not charged any tax but receive an itemised purchase receipt in their confirmation email.

Got more questions?

Ask us, we love to help!

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Free supplier questionnaire

COMING SOON!

Our fantastic free supplier questionnaire will soon be available to purchasers of the Vulnerability Assessment Tool.

Send the questionnaire to your suppliers, then copy their answers straight into the Vulnerability Assessment Tool with the click of a button.  Easy!

Buy it today, download it instantly and have your first vulnerability assessment done in no time.

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Vulnerability Assessment Tool – Frequently asked questions

What type of materials can be assessed with this tool?

This tool is suitable for food fraud vulnerability assessments of:

  • Food ingredients
  • Raw materials such as processing aids, additives
  • Primary packaging materials
  • Food products
  • Beverages
  • Dietary supplements
  • Nutritional supplements, powders
  • Herbal remedies (oral)
  • Functional food additives and ‘boosters’

What type of businesses can use this tool?

This tool is designed for any business that is purchasing food, beverage or supplement ingredients, raw materials, intermediate products or finished products, including:

  • Manufacturers
  • Wholesalers
  • Retailers
  • Food service (restaurants, cafes, takeaway, quick service restaurants)
  • Co-packers
  • Contract manufacturers
  • Brokers
  • Traders
  • Importers
  • Distributors

Can this tool be used for pre-filtering or pre-screening for food fraud?

Yes, this tool has an ‘Initial Screening’ option that allows for a quick assessment of risk.  Pre-filter or pre-screening processes are recommended by some experts as a means to quickly prioritise at-risk materials without having to complete a full-vulnerability assessment one each one.  Initial screening results may satisfy the requirements of some food safety regulations and standards, but will not be sufficient to meet the requirements of GFSI food safety management system standards.  Learn more about initial screening in this 2016 paper by Dr John Spink, Dr Douglas Moyer and Dr Cheri Speier-Pero of Michigan State University’s Food Fraud Initiative:  Spink, et al (2016). Introducing the Food Fraud Initial Screening model (FFIS). Food Control (69), pp306–314.

What happens if I can’t complete all the questions?

To obtain an accurate calculated result you should answer all the questions. However, if you are short on time you can override the calculated results with your own estimates of likelihood and consequences. This means that if you already have a good understanding of the vulnerability of a material you may choose to simply enter your best estimates instead of completing all the data fields.  Note that if you do this the resulting vulnerability assessment reports are unlikely to be acceptable to an auditor because they will not contain a complete explanation of how the assessment was performed.  To obtain a complete report, every question should be answered.

Can I change my answers?

Absolutely!  You can change your answers at any time, then print or save a new report.  It’s simple to review and update your assessments.

What if I disagree with the results?

It is easy to override the calculated results if they don’t seem right for your product or material.  The Vulnerability Assessment Tool calculates likelihood and consequences using information entered by the user, however you can also enter your own estimates.  The overall vulnerability is determined by the user’s estimates if they have been entered; if not, calculated results are used.

Why is the Vulnerability Assessment Tool an Excel spreadsheet instead of specialised software?

The tool was created with Microsoft Excel because most of its intended users are familiar with Excel and so can begin entering data as soon as they open the spreadsheet, with no special training.   Data can be copied, pasted and searched just as you would in any spreadsheet and results can be easily extracted for use in other documents.  The tool can and should be incorporated into a company’s controlled documents and record-keeping systems and Microsoft Excel files are better suited to this purpose than special software or apps.

The tabular format of the data entry pages allows users to have a ‘whole picture’ visual understanding of the data that has been entered and the gaps that need to be filled.  Other types of software such as questionnaire-style assessments do not provide a visual overview and require information to be entered in a defined series of steps which can be frustrating. Within the tables of the Vulnerability Assessment Tool, colour-coding functions provide instant feedback about whether an answer affects vulnerability in a positive or negative way, which can be a valuable learning tool.

Can I copy the results into my own spreadsheet or other document?

Yes. The data can be copied, pasted, sorted and manipulated as in any spreadsheet. When copying from the tool use the Excel function ‘paste special – values’, which will prevent pasting formulas that might return error values in a different document.

Why are some of the cells password protected?

Password protection has been applied to many of the cells in the spreadsheet.  There are a number of reasons for this, the most important of which is so that users do not accidentally ‘break’ the formulas which would be very easy to do if it was unlocked.

This means that users are not able to make changes to the wording of the questions or the automatically generated answers.  To get an idea of how the cells are protected, download our free trial spreadsheet: Try it free v3.0s

Want to buy an unlocked version that is fully customisable?  Request a quote here.

Do I have to purchase a new spreadsheet for each material group?

No, you may make as many copies of this spreadsheet as you need for ONE food business in one manufacturing location.  You may not share it with other locations, other food businesses or take it when you change jobs.  You may not share it with your suppliers.  For complete terms and conditions click here.

Is there a telephone number I can call for help and support with the tool?

Real-time support is coming soon. Until then, please email support@foodfraudadvisors.com with your query, including your preferred contact details and geographical location (for time zone purposes). We will contact you by telephone or Skype or send an email, whichever you prefer.

Can I have access to the formulas that generate the results?

If you disagree with the results the tool allows you to override them; the reported results are based on the user’s estimates if they have been entered; if not, calculated results are used.

If you think the methodology, including the risk calculations should be amended or you think there is an error in any formula please contact us. We want the Vulnerability Assessment Tool to be the best that it can and value your feedback.

Want to buy an unlocked version that is fully customisable?  Request a quote here.

My security settings will not allow me to run macros, is this a problem?

No problem; the Vulnerability Assessment Tool has been created without macros to keep things safe and secure and to prevent headaches with your IT department.

Can I get a tax receipt?

All purchasers receive an itemised receipt in their confirmation email.  There are no taxes included in the purchase price, with the exception of purchasers in Australia who have 10% GST included in the purchase price.

Australian purchasers receive a tax invoice for GST purposes in their confirmation email.

Need something else?

Just ask!  We love to help.

Buy it Now

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Blue wine, banana pens and touch-screen plates

From the fun food facts files:

Did you know that the Dominos research center in Japan was trialling delivery by reindeer?  A statement from the company said that it was a difficult decision to abandon the trial and reindeers are very difficult to control.  Uh huh.  Also from Japan and the first of its kind: a pen that can be safely used to write messages on banana skin.  I never knew I needed one of those.

Did you know that cabin conditions affect the way we perceive taste and texture?
Strawberries: not so sweet at 30,000 feet.

 

From Britain comes research that explains why aeroplane food never tastes really good.  It isn’t just because it has to be pre-cooked and schlepped from kitchen to airport to thousands of feet in the sky and then reheated before you eat it, it is also due to the conditions inside a passenger plane which actually alter our perceptions of food.  Within the cabin the atmosphere is very dry and the air pressure is lower than usual.  This affects the way our tastebuds work.  Low humidity decreases our sensitivity to odours, which are in fact the main conveyors of flavour.  Oddly, the loud background noise also has an effect on how we perceive certain tastes, with salty and sweet tastes perceived less intensely.  Loud background noise also makes food sound crunchier, which can change the apparent texture of food.

iPads.  We love them.  But do we love them enough to eat off them?  Restaurants are serving food on the screens of ipads.  One establishment serves a dish of truffle croquettes on an iPad that shows video of dogs searching for truffles.  I wonder how they clean them afterwards?

Blue wine has label compliance experts scratching their heads in EU
Gik blue wine. Looks fabulous, but what does it taste like? Gik.

 

Blue wine.  It’s a thing.  It has a gorgeous neon hue achieved with natural additives.  But for Gik, the Basque company that makes blue wine, there are legal headaches on the horizon, as Spanish lawmakers grapple with the question of what can and cannot be called ‘wine’.  Last month, Gik was fined by Spanish regulators for breaching European wine laws, which do not allow wine makers to add colourants that are not specifically approved in the oenological regulations.  Unsurprisingly, blue colourants are not on the list. Gik is appealing the fine and has filed a petition.  In the meantime, they have re-labelled and re-formulated their blue beverage by adding 1% grape must so that the product no longer needs to meet the rules for ‘pure wine’.  It’s not available where I live, which is a shame because I would love to have a taste.