Redalyc.A REVIEW on EXISTING DATABASES RELEVANT FOR
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Archivos de Zootecnia ISSN: 0004-0592 [email protected] Universidad de Córdoba España Álvarez, B. M.; Pascua, M.; Rusu, A.; Bogason, S.G. A REVIEW ON EXISTING DATABASES RELEVANT FOR FOOD FRAUD AND AUTHENTICITY Archivos de Zootecnia, vol. 62, 2013, pp. 73-91 Universidad de Córdoba Córdoba, España Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=49558826006 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative BIBLIOGRAPHIC REVIEW A REVIEW ON EXISTING DATABASES RELEVANT FOR FOOD FRAUD AND AUTHENTICITY REVISIÓN DE BASES DE DATOS EXISTENTES Y RELEVANTES EN EL FRAUDE Y AUTENTICIDAD ALIMENTARIAS Álvarez, B.M.1*; Pascual, M.1; Rusu, A.1 and Bogason, S.G.2 1Biozoon Food Innovations GmbH. Bremerhaven. Germany. *[email protected] 2Applied Supply Chain Systems Research Group. University of Iceland. Reykjavík. Iceland. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS PALABRAS CLAVE ADICIONALES Food adulteration. Food safety. Food composition. Adulteración Alimentaria. Seguridad alimentaria. Food consumption patterns. Food properties. Composición alimentaria. Patrones de consumo Toxicology. Food contaminants. Traceability. de alimentos. Propiedades de los alimentos. Toxi- Molecular information. cología. Contaminantes alimentarios. Trazabilidad. Información molecular. SUMMARY RESUMEN Food fraud and authenticity is a growing issue El fraude y la autenticidad alimentaria es un with a global impact that affects all steps in the problema global que va en aumento y afecta a food chain. Consumers demand safe foods that todas las etapas de la cadena alimentaria. Los meet the specifications on the label claim while the consumidores demandan que los alimentos cum- role is to implement measures to ensure safe food. plan con las especificaciones que se indican en el Unfortunately, due to the high level of complexity etiquetado y las autoridades tienen el papel de to detect fraud, a wide number of undetected establecer medidas para garantizar que éstos cases may be persistent within food supply chains. sean seguros. Desafortunadamente, debido a la Although food manufacturing principles are gran complejidad para detectar el fraude responsible for delivering products according to alimentario, muchos casos pasan desapercibidos the industry and food authorities' specifications, provocando que se mantengan dentro de la cade- the complexity of the food supply chains requires na de suministro de alimentos hasta llegar al that stakeholders in the chain, need to have access consumidor final. A pesar de que los principios de to trusted tools which ensure the provenance of las buenas prácticas en la fabricación alimentaria food products. This review compiles information deben garantizar que los productos fabricados related to food fraud and authenticity and evaluates cumplan con las especificaciones de calidad mar- the accessibility of the information in on-line cadas por los organismos de salud, las empresas databases for the industry and in particular for alimentarias necesitan tener acceso a herramien- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Several tas de consulta fiables para asegurar la proceden- categories of tools are established, and the cia y seguridad de los productos que reciben. Este databases included in this review are selected estudio recoge información relacionada con el and analyzed according to their structure and fraude y la autenticidad alimentaria, y evalúa el relevance to the users. The databases reviewed acceso que tiene la industria y en particular, las herein are all from the Internet and developed by pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYMES), a la public or private organizations, so they are intended información contenida en bases de datos on-line. to serve a large number of users. An overview of Se han establecido varias categorias, y todas las relevant databases that have been developed in bases de datos contenidas en cada una de ellas, European projects is also provided. han sido analizadas y seleccionadas según su Recibido: 18-12-12. Aceptado: 25-9-13. Arch. Zootec. 62 (R): 73-91. 2013. ÁLVAREZ, PASCUAL, RUSU AND BOGASON estructura y relevancia para los usuarios. Todas smaller traders. Moreover, since SMEs las bases de datos incluidas han sido extraidas de represent 99 % of all enterprises in the food internet y están desarrolladas tanto por organis- sector in Europe (European Commission), it is mos públicos, como privados, por lo que están essential, for them to have accessible reliable destinadas a llegar a un gran número de usuarios. information in databases on potential risks También se ha realizado un estudio general de of food safety and authenticity issues bases de datos relevantes que han sido desarro- lladas en proyectos europeos. concerning their supplies or ingredients. Thus, the present review provides an INTRODUCTION assessment of the current availability of databases in the area of food fraud and Food fraud is a collective term used to authenticity and various concepts relating encompass the deliberate and intentional to food fraud and authenticity are defined substitution, addition, tampering, or with the aim to inform SMEs on their misrepresentation of food, food ingredients, existence, and potential usage for consumers. or food packaging (Spink and Moyer, 2011). According to the Food Standard Agency, RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS UK food fraud is committed when food is deliberately placed on the market, for LITERATURE SEARCH financial gain and with the intention of Two separate systematic searches were deceiving the consumer. Two types of fraud conducted to identify current databases were described: 1) the sale of food which is containing relevant information regarding unfit and potentially harmful and 2) the food fraud and authenticity. The first was a deliberate misdescription of food, such as comprehensive Internet search using products substituted with a cheaper Google and Google Scholars domains. alternative. As a result of this action, food Keywords used for this task included: food safety could be affected and the health of composition database, food authenticity consumers. This happens during the process database, food properties database, food of adulteration as unconventional additives fraud database, Toxicology database, Food may frequently be used, of which effect in contaminants database, Biomarkers human health is not determined and therefore database, Molecular information and no established plans to detect them exist Traceability. For each keyword synonyms either. To this respect, the increasing demand were sought and combined using all fields. for information on different aspects of food A second search was performed within safety and authenticity have resulted in an European projects. For this purpose, Cordis increasing number of available online website was explored. Keywords used in databases, providing information related this search were analogous to the ones on this issue. However, it was noted in the used during the Internet search. In order to present analysis that the relationship identify all potentially relevant data related between the information contained in with the issue that concerns us, an these databases and food fraud and/or exhaustive analysis was performed using authenticity is not presented clearly enough Microsoft Excel. for those less specialized Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the food sector. Thus, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE after the Italian organics scandal in 2011, SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW the importance of improved certification process in Europe was highlighted and the After the collection process, the need of harmonized information, in particu- databases underwent detailed review using lar databases was seen as important by the Microsoft Excel as a practical approach tool Archivos de zootecnia vol. 62 (R), p. 74. DATABASES RELEVANT FOR FOOD FRAUD AND AUTHENTICITY to collate and categorise relevant infor- (4) Food composition, (5) Toxicology, (6) mation for the databases. Thereby, for each Contaminants, and (7) Molecular infor- identified database, important data were mation. extracted. Further , all the databases were grouped according to the status during the RESULTS AND DISCUSSION search period, updating and availability. The functional status of the databases were Among the various databases assessed categorised as follows; 1) finalized when regarding access to appropriate information the development was completed and it was on food fraud and authenticity for functionally active, and 2) in process when stakeholders like food industry SMEs, it was under construction. The databases NGOs, and the consumers, only two of the were considered 3) updated when contains databases could be directly categorized as current information and according to its a FOOD FRAUD DATABASE. More direct date of addition and 4) outdated when information to confirm this situation appears current information has not been added to be lacking, and this observation is since the database was built or when the supported by recent paper by Moore et al., updating date was not indicated in the 2012. It can therefore be concluded that a application. Depending on the availability joint effort to create an accessible database of the information, the databases could be on food fraud cases benefitting food 1) public: open to share the information transparency for relevant stakeholders in with