The identification of sources of information concerning food fraud in the UK and elsewhere (Q01R0025) Report to Defra, Food Authenticity Branch March 2013 By: Dr John Dennis (Project lead) and Dr Simon Kelly Page 1 Food fraud in the UK and elsewhere (FA0104) – Final Report Contents About the Authors Author 1 details Dr John Dennis worked for the MAFF Food Science Laboratory, The Central Science laboratory and Fera for 35 years. He was formerly the Head of the Food Science Group and a founder member of the FSA‟s Working Party on Food Authenticity and is currently Chairman of its Methods Sub-Group within Defra. He gained his degree in Biological Science and PhD in Chemical Science at the University of East Anglia. Dr Dennis is a Chartered Fellow of the Royal Society and has been a member of a number of National and European Committees and advisory groups. Author 2 details Dr Simon Kelly is a research leader in stable isotope analysis and food authentication within the Food and Environmental Safety Programme at Fera. He gained his degree in Chemistry from Anglia Polytechnic in 1992 and completed his PhD in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia in 2002, where he now holds an honorary lectureship. Dr Kelly is a Chartered member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and member of the Editorial Board of the journal „Food Chemistry‟. He has acted as a consultant to the joint Food and Agriculture Organisation/International Atomic Energy Agency‟s Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. Simon has been involved in applying isotope ratio mass spectrometry to Food Authentication since 1992. Table of Contents Executive Summary .................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1 Background to project......................................................................................................9 1.1 Definitions and legal framework ......................................................................................................................... 9 1.2 Categories of fraud .......................................................................................................................................... 10 1.2.1 Smuggling ............................................................................................................................................. 10 1.2.2 Deliberate mislabelling ........................................................................................................................... 10 1.2.3 Substitution ............................................................................................................................................ 10 1.2.4 Adulteration ........................................................................................................................................... 11 1.2.5 Tipping................................................................................................................................................... 11 1.3 Social and economic context ........................................................................................................................... 11 1.4 References ...................................................................................................................................................... 12 2 The challenge of gathering information on the incidence of food fraud at national, European and international levels ........................................................................................................ 13 2.1 Context ............................................................................................................................................................ 13 2.2 References ...................................................................................................................................................... 16 3 Methods for gathering data .......................................................................................... 17 3.1 Direct contact with local and central Government agencies in the UK, Europe and Internationally ................... 17 3.1.1 UK Food Standards Agency - Food Fraud Task Force ........................................................................... 17 3.1.2 The UK Food Surveillance system (UKFSS) .......................................................................................... 17 3.1.3 European Institutions ............................................................................................................................. 19 3.1.4 International Institutions ......................................................................................................................... 19 3.2 Media .............................................................................................................................................................. 19 3.3 Retailers .......................................................................................................................................................... 18 3.4 Other food authenticity and quality laboratories in the public and private sector............................................... 19 Page 2 Food fraud in the UK and elsewhere (FA0104) – Final Report Contents 3.5 Consumer groups ............................................................................................................................................ 19 4 Levels and trends in food and beverage fraud ........................................................... 20 4.1 National information ........................................................................................................................................ 20 4.1.1 Data from the FSA‟s Food Fraud Task Force ......................................................................................... 20 4.1.2 The UK Food Surveillance system (UKFSS) .......................................................................................... 21 4.2 Information from the European Union .............................................................................................................. 22 4.2.1 Information from EU customs seizures ................................................................................................... 23 4.2.2 European Anti-Fraud office (OLAF) ........................................................................................................ 24 4.2.3 Origin of counterfeit food and drinks products entering the EU ............................................................... 25 4.2.4 Directorate General for Competition policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF). ............... 26 4.2.5 Eurostats Comext database ................................................................................................................... 26 4.2.6 European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) ................................................................... 29 4.2.7 Categories of food and beverage products seized by EU customs ......................................................... 28 4.2.8 European Union‟s Joint Research Centre (DG- JRC, Ispra, Italy) ........................................................... 28 4.2.9 European Food control laboratories ....................................................................................................... 29 4.3 Information from International sources ............................................................................................................. 31 4.3.1 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)...................................................... 31 4.3.2 Greg Noonan (Food and Drug Administration, USA) - Authenticity in Food, US Perspective .................. 32 4.3.3 The Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection Program (A-CAPPP) Michigan State University (USA) 32 4.3.4 Stan Bacler (Canadian Food Inspection Agency, CFIA) - Food Authenticity Testing Programmes ......... 33 4.3.5 Dr Paul Dansted (New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry NZ-MAF) - Food Assurance .......... 33 4.3.6 Shirley Abrantes (Brazilian National Institute of Quality Control in Health, INCQS) - Authenticity in food – what does this mean to Brazil? ..................................................................................................................................................... 33 4.3.7 Veronica Torres Leedham (National Health Service and Agri-Food Quality, SENASA) - Authenticity in food – what does this mean to Argentina? ............................................................................................................................................... 33 4.3.8 Wongkwan Jitnupong (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khonkaen University, Thailand, FVM-KU) - Authenticity in Food – what does this mean in regional perspective?..................................................................34 4.3.9 Isoforensics (USA)...............................................................................................................................37 4.4 Media .............................................................................................................................................................. 34 4.4.1 Television broadcasts ............................................................................................................................ 34 4.4.2 Internet .................................................................................................................................................