Fraud in Food Produts

Abstract

In the context of food quality, Food Fraud has been identified as an emerging risk for the food industry and a significant concern for consumers and official supervisory bodies. Fraud refers to changes in a food product, always for profit, disrespecting the consumer's right in addition to representing a risk to human health. These frauds have the ability to diminish consumer confidence in their food supply and interfere with the reputation of honest food business operators. Thus, this review aimed to point out the opportunities for fraud and adulteration in some foods, showing the different ways of carrying them out, and also, some cases that have occurred throughout history. While pointing out the need for investment in specific and effective analyzes of production processes by the industries, in addition to control measures, actions aimed at reducing or eliminating possible hazards, which contributed to ensuring the quality and safety of products.

Unauthorized Food Manipulation as a Criminal Offense: Food Authenticity, Legal Frameworks, Analytical Tools and Cases

“…Adulteration of meat and seafood products involves substitution with species of low commercial value. Although the motivation is mainly economic, it can also affect health; for instance, when meat with low allergenic potential is substituted with meat products with high allergenic potential by adding, for example, soy, gluten, or milk proteins [22,23]. Common frauds also include increasing product weight by adding excessive water to frozen products, changing the stated country of origin, and using illegal chemicals in production [8].…”

“…Chemicals such as calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, or formalin are used to increase shelf life, while detergents are used to maintain the frothy appearance that decreases when the milk is diluted with water. Urea is added to impart whiteness and falsely increase nitrogen content, or in other words, to achieve a similar effect to melamine [22,24]. Olive oil is often adulterated by the addition of other oils of lesser commercial value, which usually do not have the same functional properties as olive oil (e.g., vegetable oil).…”

“…Olive oil is often adulterated by the addition of other oils of lesser commercial value, which usually do not have the same functional properties as olive oil (e.g., vegetable oil). It is even not uncommon to use oils that are not intended for human consumption, such as lampante olive oil [22]. Cheap wines and alcoholic beverages are often labelled as more expensive.…”

“…The main frauds in coffee production are the addition of barley, corn, or rice, or substitution with cheaper coffee of lower quality [23]. Spices often contain toxic adulterants that threaten public health; for instance, spices are colored with lead chromate, azo dyes, and triphenylmethane dyes [22]. Honey is usually adulterated with cheaper sweeteners, such as high-fructose corn syrup, corn sugar syrup, invert sugar syrup, cane sugar syrup, rice syrup, and so on.…”