Food Fraud

In order to protect your business and the consumer, you need to have sufficient processes and procedures in place to reduce the risk of unknown ingredients or illegal foods from entering the food chain.

Food fraud is becoming increasingly prominent around the world. It is committed when modified or misrepresented products are deliberately placed on the market for financial gain, with the intention of deceiving or even harming the consumer. It generally involves the sale of food which is unfit and potentially harmful to the consumer, for example:

• The substitution of items in place of those described on the ingredients list, e.g. meat, fish, honey
• The addition of items to "improve" or increase products, e.g. melamine added to baby milk as a protein additive, Sudan dye added to spices to create a more vibrant colour
• The geographic misrepresentation of products, e.g. British honey which is sourced from the EU

Intertek’s state-of-the-art food laboratories can carry out accurate testing and analysis to minimise the risk of food fraud to your business. We use both PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and LC/MS/MS (liquid chromatography with mass ion detection) techniques which have lower detection limits and allow for accurate and reliable testing.

In order to ensure full traceability of your products and supply chain, a complete and Integrated Food Management System is required which provides an in-depth, risk-based monitoring plan. In addition, our advisory team ensure they are always up to date with the latest regulations so that they can accurately guide you through the food safety requirements for your market. Our specialists can assist with globally recognised certifications like FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification), ISO 22000, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) which can help you to demonstrate your commitment to food safety and ensure full traceability of your ingredients.