How to spot and prevent food crime

What is food crime?

Food crime means serious cheating and related illegal activities in food supply chains. It is often called food fraud (which I have previously written about here). This can harm consumers, food businesses, and the overall food industry. Food crime can happen in many ways, from single acts of dishonesty by one person, to planned illegal activities by criminal groups.

Examples of food crime

Food crimes include theft of livestock or goods, unlawful processing like unlicensed slaughter, waste diversion where disposed food enters the supply chain, adulteration such as adding water to fruit juice, substitution like replacing lamb with goat, misrepresentation of food origin or quality, and document fraud involving false traceability or certification claims.