ADULTERATION IN FOOD INDUSTRY IN 2023 - OVERVIEW

Abstract

This review focuses on food fraud and shows a picture of the most critical notifications reported by the Knowledge Centre for Food Fraud and Quality worldwide during the year 2023. Knowledge4Policy (K4P) is the EU Commission's platform for evidence-based policymaking. This study aims to provide an overview of the cases of food fraud focused on specific food groups - (fish and seafood, oils and fats, fruit and vegetables, honey and sugar, meat and meat products, wine, alcohol, milk and dairy products, spices and herbs, grain-based food – cereals - bakery products, eggs, snacks, coffee, tea, cocoa, non-alcoholic beverages, dietic foods supplements, fortified food). The data on food fraud was divided based on world continents (Asia, Africa, South America, North- Central America, Australia, and Europe). The next part of our overview shows the count of food fraud incidents separately each month for 2023. Overall, 419 cases were registered worldwide in 66 countries in 2023. Most cases were registered in Europe, South America, Africa, North-Central America, and Australia. Based on our findings, we can conclude that the highest number of cases were registered in Pakistan, followed by Italy, Brazil, Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, and Australia. The most abundant was alcohol-beverages adulteration (18.13 % of the total number of cases reported in 2023 worldwide), followed by meat and meat products (15.03 %), fish and seafood (13.60 %), and grain-based food, cereals, and bakery products (11.69 %). Analysis of notification data showed that the most used type of fraud was grey market trading, mislabeling, document forgery, dilution/mixing, substitution, and unapproved enhancement. Food fraud databases serve as valuable tools for the food industry and regulatory bodies, aiding in mitigating food fraud risks.