Food scams uncovered and what you can do to protect yourself and your family

UK007BullDog

Here is something I threw together and would like to share as I am well into the good food stuffs. This is something quite dear to my heart. The level of food scams plaguing the UK has been estimated at about 10%, or £7 billion a year.

Meat and alcohol are the most common targets of fraud: due to high yield profits. There have been instances where the level of methanol found in alcohol was so high that it could have caused blindness or death. In 2000 and 2003, rotten poultry from slaughter houses ended up in schools, supermarkets and hospitals nationwide.

Food fraudsters also follow trends. Years ago selling farmed fish as wild, or conventional meat as organic, was rare. In 2006, a UK couple were found importing honey from Argentina and China, selling it as ‘local’. Fraud also occurs when demand outstrips supply – i.e. specialist products like buffalo milk mozzarella, Basmati rice and various organic produce.

‘Consumers should be aware of foods where the colours are too perfect.’

A farmed salmon would be much pinker and a farmed turbot whiter than if caught in the wild. An organic chicken will have stronger legs with darker leg meat than a battery-farmed one, while the breast meat on a battery-farmed would be plumper than that on an organic chicken.

Organic producers must be accredited with one of the following certification bodies in the UK. Look out for the name or code on organic produce, visit each website and have a look at the logo:

http://www.organicfarmers.org.uk/

http://www.sopa.org.uk/

http://www.orgfoodfed.com/

http://www.soilassociation.org/

http://www.biodynamic.org.uk/

http://www.iofga.org/

http://www.organic-trust.org/

http://www.wlbp.co.uk/organic_overview

http://www.quality-register.co.uk/bodies/body177.htm

There is no formal definition of ‘local’. Local bread could be made from local ingredients or just be baked locally. Ask the seller about this. Check that produce is seasonal: strawberries in January are not going to be local. Look for the Farma logo.

To be labelled free range, birds must have had a defined minimum amount of space, access to the outdoors and not have been slaughtered before a certain age.

Imported meat that undergoes treatment or processing in the UK can be labelled as ‘produced in the UK’.
Ask your butcher where your meat comes from, and check the label – a ready-meal label may say ‘produced in the UK’ but on closer inspection may also have a smaller label saying ‘chicken from Thailand’.

The Food Standards Agency recommends that only foods made or prepared in the home should be labelled ‘home-made’. Ask for more details – for example, if a pie looks too perfect.

How to pass on information if you're suspicious:

The Food Standards Agency (FSA)

The FSA investigates fraud and develops methods to detect it. It set up a national food fraud database in 2006 to collate and share information between local authorities and enforcement agencies, and to identify patterns in food fraud. Unfortunately, the database has not been well used, and the FSA is eager to change this by encouraging consumers and legitimate traders to contact it if they see anything suspicious.

Environmental health and trading standards officers

Local environmental health officers (EHOs) and trading standards officers also work with public analysts to investigate and identify food fraud. EHOs inspect food sellers, asking to see accreditation with recognised organic bodies or proof that meat was bought from a legitimate trader.

If you think that food is being sold fraudulently or see something suspicious, contact your local environmental health or trading standards office or Consumer Direct.

UK007BullDog

These might be useful reads as well:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/aug/21/foodanddrink.organics1

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1082208.stm A bit old from 2000

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4220949.stm

UK007BullDog

No discussion at all?

I sometimes wonder how the supermarkets can be sure that their produce is 100% organic or fair trade if it is loose produce shipped in from foreign countries.

jannyannie

THankyou Bulldog,

Have always been quite suspicious of a lot of organic food. Best way is to try and grow some yourself if you can. Also have the same level of suspicion about "diet" foods. Not convinced myself. I buy meat from a butcher out near my Mum's which is attached to the farm where it lives. It's not much more expensive and at least I know it's local. They also shoot game for us. I know a lot of people living in towns don't have that option and I guess that is where the majority of food fraud happens.

mophead

Thanks for the information, i was aware of some of the scams but it always helps to be better informed. I used to buy mainly organic fruit and veg especially salads and fruit, but i have since had to change this due to a change in my income. I now just try to buy things that are in season and wash them throughly. I must admit i have had my doubts on the authenticity of organic product in general. I am very aware that there are some very hardworking and reputable organic producers out there but as this whole organic industry has grown dramatically over the past ten years i find it hard to believe that some counterfeit goods are not being sold to unsuspecting customers trying to do the right thing

UK007BullDog

Sometimes when I buy organic tomatoes they seem to last forever. This makes me very suspicious that they were iradiated. In fact i have a set of tomatoes I bought at Morrisons 3 weeks ago and they are still firm! They are supposed to be organic.

If they were truly organic they would start to shrivel up or go mouldy quite quickly even in the fridge. Or they are genetically modified. I will take them back to morrisons and ask for my money back. I bought loads because they were half price. Too good to be true!

BrandNewDay

UK007BullDog wrote: »

Sometimes when I buy organic tomatoes they seem to last forever. This makes me very suspicious that they were iradiated. In fact i have a set of tomatoes I bought at Morrisons 3 weeks ago and they are still firm! They are supposed to be organic.

If they were truly organic they would start to shrivel up or go mouldy quite quickly even in the fridge. Or they are genetically modified. I will take them back to morrisons and ask for my money back. I bought loads because they were half price. Too good to be true!

While I do see your point, I think you'll get some strange looks for returning produce for being too fresh!:rotfl: