Food fraud is an increasing global threat with serious health and economic implications. Driven by profit, it involves counterfeiting, mislabeling, adulteration, and substitution—particularly targeting high-value foods like olive oil, seafood, honey, and spices. Advanced scientific methods such as DNA testing, spectroscopy, and IRMS, along with technologies like blockchain, AI-powered inspections, and smart packaging, are improving detection and supply chain transparency. In India, the FSSAI enforces food safety through the FSS Act (2006), supporting laws, and initiatives like Eat Right India. Yet, stronger global cooperation and tighter enforcement are crucial to closing regulatory gaps and combating cross-border food fraud effectively.
Food safety is no longer the only pressing issue in the food and beverage industry—food fraud is emerging as a significant and growing threat. Frequently making headlines, it poses serious risks to both consumers and manufacturers. While not usually intended to cause harm, studies have shown that in areas with limited food security, such practices can contribute to under-nutrition. The occurrence of food fraud exposes critical gaps in the oversight and regulation of food supply chains. It also erodes public trust in food brands and regulatory authorities. Furthermore, once detected, food fraud often leads to costly repercussions for companies, including large-scale product recalls and damage to brand reputation.
Although there is no universally accepted definition, “food fraud” generally refers to instances where consumers are misled about the quantity, quality, or identity of the food they purchase or consume.
Food fraud can take many forms, which may occur individually or in combination. These include–
• Dilution: Mixing a high-value liquid ingredient with a cheaper liquid to reduce concentration and cut production costs. • Mislabeling: Providing false or misleading information on packaging or labels. • Unapproved Enhancement: Adding undeclared or unauthorized substances to a food product. • Substitution: Replacing a premium ingredient or component with one of lower quality or value. • Concealment: Intentionally hiding low-quality or defective ingredients within a product. • Counterfeiting: Illegally copying a brand name, design, recipe, or proprietary technique. Counterfeit risks consumer safety, as a fake product can contain unauthorized and hazardous ingredients. • Grey Market Production/Theft/Diversion: Selling unregistered, stolen, or diverted products through unauthorized channels. (Grey market foods are genuine products sold through unauthorized or unofficial channels. While not counterfeit, they are often priced lower than those in regulated markets, typically to bypass taxes, controls, or other official regulations. This type of trade is generally discouraged, as it can harm brand reputation and reduce profits. Diversion refers to the unauthorized distribution of products intended for specific markets—such as food designated for disaster relief or promotional events—being sold or used in unintended locations.)
• Olive Oil: Often diluted with cheaper oils like soybean or sunflower oil, and sometimes mislabeled regarding its origin or quality. • Seafood: Lower-value fish species are frequently mislabeled as more expensive varieties, deceiving consumers and affecting market prices. • Honey and Maple Syrup: These natural sweeteners are sometimes adulterated with sugar syrups to increase volume and reduce production costs. • Dairy Products: Milk and related products can be adulterated with substances like melamine to falsely enhance protein content, posing serious health risks. • Spices: High-value spices such as saffron, black pepper, and turmeric are prone to adulteration with inferior substances to increase weight or mimic color. • Fruit Juices: Expensive juices like pomegranate or blueberry are sometimes diluted with cheaper juices or water, misleading consumers about their purity. • Meat Products: Incidents like the horse meat scandal in Europe revealed the substitution of beef with cheaper horse meat in processed products. • Organic Foods: Non-organic products are occasionally mislabeled as organic to fetch higher prices, undermining consumer trust. • Coffee and Tea: These beverages can be adulterated with fillers or mislabeled regarding their quality or origin. • Wine: Counterfeit wines involve misrepresentation of origin, vintage, or grape variety, deceiving consumers. This adulteration compromises both the flavour and safety of wine. In some instances, counterfeit wine has been found to contain hazardous substances such as methanol, which can cause serious poisoning.
Some of the most notable examples of food fraud across the world include:
• Melamine in Milk (China, 2008): Over 300,000 people fell ill after milk and infant formula were adulterated with melamine to falsely inflate protein content (BCC, 2010).
• Toxic Olive Oil Syndrome (Spain, 1981): Adulteration of olive oil with aniline-contaminated industrial oil caused around 300 immediate deaths and left many others with chronic illnesses (Gelpi, 2002).
• Shrimp Injection: Injecting shrimp with gel or water to increase their size and weight, misleading consumers about product value. As per the FoodChain ID food fraud database data for 10 years (2015 – 2024) seafood, dairy, meat and beverages, were among the most frequently reported categories involved in food fraud incidents.
Source: Food Authenticity Network (FAN)
• Harm to Human Health: Food fraud can pose serious health risks to consumers. Toxic substances may be added, or essential nutrients removed, increasing the chance of foodborne illnesses. Additionally, undeclared ingredients can trigger allergic reactions or food intolerances, putting vulnerable consumers at greater risk. • Economic Harm: Fraudulently altered products are often of lower quality, meaning consumers pay more for less. This not only cheats customers but also harms genuine businesses that lose market share to dishonest competitors. Such fraud affects both luxury items like truffles and everyday goods like honey. • Harm to International Trade: The globalization of food production has made supply chains more complex and harder to monitor. With multiple stages and countries involved, controlling every point becomes challenging. This complexity increases the risk of fraud across ingredients, materials, and food products, undermining trust and integrity in global trade.
Ensuring food authenticity
Governments, regulators, and businesses are increasingly adopting technological innovations to monitor and verify food authenticity. A range of scientific methods is used to confirm the genuineness of food products and help curb the spread of counterfeits. At the India Food Manufacturing Summit 2025, held recently (June 2) in New Delhi by the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI), Mr Ankit Gupta – Joint Managing Director, Holostik India, and Vice President ASPA (packaging association)- stated that the solution to counterfeiting is a combination of technologies. For a lot of things, he said, security printing, security links, QR codes are used to connect the physical layer of security to the digital layer. On the digital side, there could be a feasibility solution, which could be built on traditional software development softwares, like NET or Python.
Some of the most commonly applied methods/technologies for testing food authenticity include-
• DNA Testing, wherein technologies such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) are used to analyze the genetic material of animal or plant-based food products. This helps confirm the authenticity of species and detect issues in seafood, meat, ingredients, allergens, and pathogens. • Digital Sensory Analysis: Advanced artificial sensory tools provide objective and precise measurements of taste and aroma, enabling the accurate identification and classification of complex flavor and scent profiles. • Spectroscopy: This method examines the chemical composition of food to verify purity and quality, commonly used for products like olive oil, honey, and dairy. • Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS): IRMS analyzes the isotopic composition of elements in food to trace their geographical origin. It is especially useful for authenticating organic products and verifying the origin of items like wine. • High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC): HPLC separates individual compounds within a food product, making it effective for detecting additives, contaminants, or adulterants in products such as spices and protein powders. • Blockchain Technology for Traceability: Blockchain is transforming food traceability by providing a transparent, tamper-proof record of every step in the supply chain—from farm to table. Leading retailers such as Walmart and Carrefour have adopted blockchain to enhance product safety and prevent food counterfeiting, marking a significant step forward in securing the food supply chain. • QR Codes and Smart Packaging: Companies are increasingly using QR codes and RFID tags on packaging to give consumers instant access to details about a product’s source, processing, and certification. This added transparency boosts consumer trust and serves as a strong deterrent against counterfeiting. • AI and Machine Learning in Food Inspection: Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are revolutionizing food inspection by detecting adulteration, substitution, and other inconsistencies at a microscopic level in real time. These systems, often paired with image recognition, can also identify fake packaging by spotting subtle anomalies that humans might miss.
These advanced technologies are essential tools in the fight against food counterfeiting, offering real-time data and improved supply chain visibility to help keep fake products out of the market.
The global food and beverage industry is increasingly challenged by the surge in fake and counterfeit products. With supply chains stretching across multiple countries, ensuring and monitoring food authenticity has become more difficult than ever. International bodies like the FDA in the U.S., EFSA in Europe, UK’s Food Standards Agency, and cross-border initiatives are equally critical in ensuring the food is genuine and safe.
In India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) plays a crucial role in fighting against food fraud. Additionally, India works closely with international bodies such as Interpol, Codex Alimentarius, and the World Customs Organization (WCO) to combat cross-border food fraud. These collaborations focus on harmonizing global food safety standards and sharing intelligence on counterfeit products.
Despite these efforts, major challenges persist. The differences in food safety regulations between countries create gaps that counterfeiters frequently take advantage of. Although actions such as cross-border raids and advanced detection technologies have helped, they alone are not enough. To effectively tackle international food fraud, stronger and globally unified regulatory frameworks are crucial for consistent enforcement.
During the summit, while referring to a study with Crystal about three years ago in the food sector, Mr Ankit Gupta highlighted that about 25% of the products in India are counterfeit. Nearly 42% of the respondents of the survey said they have consumed or encountered counterfeit food products. He added that about 28% of the respondents said they willingly bought counterfeit products. The figures are deeply concerning indeed.
The food safety in India is primarily governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India FSSAI), which was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSS Act), 2006. The FSSAI plays a vital role in ensuring food safety by inspecting products, conducting random sampling, and enforcing penalties for violations. Its responsibilities include routine testing of food items, conducting audits, and promoting consumer awareness.
Major Food Counterfeiting Laws in the country include- • FSS Act, 2006: This legislation defines the responsibilities of food businesses and regulators in ensuring food safety. It also specifies penalties for food adulteration and counterfeiting. • Legal Metrology Act: Enforces accurate packaging and labelling, ensuring consumers receive the correct information. • Consumer Protection Act: Offers consumers legal recourse against unsafe or counterfeit products, empowering them to take action.
The Indian government, through the FSSAI, has launched several initiatives to combat food fraud and ensure consumer safety. Key programs include the Eat Right India campaign to promote safe, authentic food; mobile apps like Food Safety Connect for reporting violations; and the Food Safety Mitra program to train professionals in food safety. These efforts are supported by stricter penalties, more frequent inspections, and the use of technology to enhance real-time monitoring of food products.
Conclusion
Food fraud continues to pose a significant global threat, endangering consumer health and eroding trust. Emerging technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence, and advanced scientific testing are enhancing food traceability and the detection of counterfeit products. However, given the complexity of global supply chains and differing regulations, stronger international cooperation and unified standards are essential. Together, these efforts can better protect consumers and ensure the integrity of the food supply.
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