World Food Safety Day is on 7 June 2022! This important day aims to draw attention and mobilize action to prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks and improve human health.
In the current scenario, after the pandemic effect, the importance of ensuring food safety becomes more relevant and demands attention from all the stakeholders. While Government & Business operations must ensure food safety, it becomes essential to adopt good practices in Agriculture and Food products areas. Indian consumers need to be aware of their rights to have authentic & safe food. The world needs a new era of smarter food safety by overcoming various challenges ahead in achieving this. One of the critical challenges is food fraud.
What is Food Fraud exactly?
Food fraud refers to the deliberate adulteration, mislabeling, or misrepresentation of food products for economic gain. It is a global issue that affects both consumers and the food industry. Food fraud can take various forms, such as diluting or substituting ingredients, counterfeiting products, or providing false information about the origin or quality of food.
Food fraud has become a significant issue around the globe and is constantly threatening food safety. According to a PriceWaterhouseCoopers study, food fraud costs the global industry USD 30-40 billion a year. This issue is causing an economic headache, AND it is damaging people’s health and well-being. Due to the exponential increase in food fraud incidents of contamination, adulteration, tampering, counterfeiting, and substitution, consumers are losing faith in their food.
Which are Some Famous Food Frauds that India has seen recently?
Maggi Noodles Controversy (2015): Nestlé's Maggi noodles were found to contain excessive levels of lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG), leading to a nationwide ban and subsequent legal battles.
Synthetic Milk Scam (2019): Synthetic milk made from chemicals such as urea, detergent, and formalin was discovered in some parts of India, posing severe health risks to consumers.
Olive Oil Adulteration (2016): ‘Healthy Living’ brands were found selling adulterated olive oil, often mixed with cheaper oils, compromising the quality and authenticity of the product.
Honey Adulteration Scandal (2020): Several honey brands like Dabur were found to be adulterating their products with sugar syrup, compromising the purity and authenticity of the honey.