What is Food Fraud?

Food Fraud vs Food Defense

In the vast array of issues which can be faced in the whole food supply chain, the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) considers four categories related to food integrity (Figure 1). Distinguishing between these categories requires putting oneself in the place of the person at the source of the issue and wonder :  

Is the action deliberate or unintentional?

If unintentional, it is a food safety or quality issue. But when the action is intentional, then the behaviour can be considered a crime :

• Situation 1 : the motivation of the criminal is to harm people, the type of action falls in the field of "Food defence". It can be even qualified as terrorism when the action aims at gravely disturbing public order.
• Situation 2 : the intention is only economical, the action can be considered as "Food Fraud". 

Figure 1 : Difference between food fraud, food defense, food safety and food quality. Adapted from Food Fraud Think Tank (From FoodIntegrity Handbook)

Figure 2 : Terminology of food frauds. Adapted from Food Fraud Think Tank (From FoodIntegrity Handbook)

Focus on Food Fraud

Food Fraud is the deliberate and intentional substitution, addition, tampering, or misrepresentation of food, food ingredients, or mislabeling on food packaging for the seller's economic gain.

The notion of food fraud and food authenticity received increased focus as a field of investigation by the research community and the food industry in the late 2000s, following highly mediatised crises such as the melamine scandal in China in 2007 and Horsegate in 2013, with adverse impact on vulnerable consumers for the former. 

← The GFSI identified seven types of frauds (Figure 2). Find out definitions and examples in our glossary.