Monthly Summary of Food Fraud Cases

The European Commission have recently released the March 2024 monthly summary of articles on food fraud. Some of the key highlights include:

• A production plant in Italy was closed after it was found that they were not using water intended for human consumption. Approximately 1 ton of cheese was also seized because it did not have any traceability information.
• Authorities in India uncovered a manufacturing plant producing fake butter by mixing vanaspati (a fully or partially hydrogenated vegetable cooking oil), refined palmolein oil, salt, food colours and other ingredients. The product packaging also bore the name of a popular brand.
• Authorities in Brazil seized 104,363 litres of clandestine olive oil adulterated with soybean oil in a clandestine factory with insufficient hygienic conditions.
• Pakistani authorities seized 1,500 litres of milk that had been adulterated with water.
• Spanish authorities seized 18 400 bottles of wine with a counterfeit Geographical Indication from Malaga.
• In the Ivory Coast, 4 tons of fake sugar was found to have been made of grinded blocks.