food fraud and allergies

[eragon]

http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/food-fraud-dangerous-allergens-allergies-peanuts-eggs

[LinksEtc]

Unfortunately, fraud is an ongoing problem ...


“NYC Teens’ Study: 1-in-6 Food Products Mislabeled
16 percent of food tested found to be fraudulently labeled”
http://www.longislandpress.com/2009/12/28/nyc-teens-study-1-in-6-food-products-mislabeled/

 
“Connecticut Puts The Squeeze On Olive Oil Fraud”
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98401360



Fraudulent fish (another possible source of Shellfish/fish allergens)



 

[twinturbo]

This is why I don't trust trading companies that buy imported foods and relabel them with their brand. I know many trust Eden Foods but when they are an ocean away from their sourcing and have maybe a language barrier I have no idea why they have such confidence in their allergen labeling. At least if I buy the imported domestic brand I have a shot at gauging the risk more directly and pay a fraction of the price.

[LinksEtc]

"Your Coffee Might Have Wheat or Twigs Hidden in It"
http://time.com/3101138/counterfeit-coffee/

"Scientists are developing a way to identify counterfeit coffee"

Coffee shortages caused by climate change have increased the likelihood that the coffee grounds we use have “fillers” in them like wheat, soybean, brown sugar, barley, corn, seeds, and even stick and twigs — which, in addition to being misleading could also cause allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to the undeclared fillers.

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I'm just going to put the title of the OP thread link for documentation.

"Food fraud: the dangerous allergens lurking in the supply chain
Replacing ingredients to cut costs can have deadly results if consumers are exposed to foods that cause an allergic reaction"

Michael Walker and Hazel Gowland
Guardian Professional, Wednesday 16 April 2014

[LinksEtc]

"Traceability Is Not a Substitute for Transparency in the Recipe for Food Company Success"

http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/fsm-edigest/traceability-is-not-a-substitute-for-transparency-in-the-recipe-for-food-company-success/

European companies with sophisticated tracking systems and protocols were ensnared by fraudsters who used horse meat to turn a far reaching ground beef, multi-country supply chain into a massive swindle that kindled a social media firestorm, tarnished hard-earned brand reputations and caused enormous losses.

[LinksEtc]

Tweeted by @bmarler

"Are lessons being learned from previous food scares?"

http://conversation.which.co.uk/energy-home/food-scares-campylobacter-salmonella-horsemeat/#.VAR0087dpN0.twitter

Elliott’s interim report highlighted the need for a zero tolerance approach to food crime that puts consumer interests first. He highlighted the importance of intelligence gathering, surveillance, tougher industry checks and tighter Government controls as well as the need to give policy responsibility for food standards back to the FSA.

[LinksEtc]

"Private Eyes in the Grocery Aisles"
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/business/private-eyes-in-the-grocery-aisles.html?partner=socialflow&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0

Civilian shoppers see food when they go to the market. Mr. Samadpour, the chief executive of IEH Laboratories (short for Institute for Environmental Health), sees mystery, if not downright fraud.

While the lab focuses primarily on safety issues like the cumin-and-peanut inquiry, there are enough fraud calls to support specialties among the lab technicians, like Kirthi Kutumbaka, referred to by his colleagues as “the emperor of fish” for his work on a seafood identification project.

[GoingNuts]

That was a  great article, Links - thanks for sharing!

[LinksEtc]

Is There Wood Pulp In That Parmesan? How Scientists Sniff Out Food Fraud
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/04/03/472684953/is-there-wood-pulp-in-that-parmesan-how-scientists-sniff-out-food-fraud?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social

Earlier this year, Wal-Mart was sued for stocking tubs of Parmesan cheese that contained wood-pulp filler. Olive oil is often mixed with sunflower oil and sold as "extra virgin." And you might recall the great European horse meat scandal of 2014: Traces of horse meat were found in Ikea meatballs and Burger King beef patties, in cottage pies sold at schools in Lancashire, England, and in frozen lasagna sold all over Europe.

[LinksEtc]

"Special Report: Investigating Motive and Spice Safety in the Big Peanut-Tainted Cumin Recalls"
http://allergicliving.com/2016/04/14/special-report-investigating-motive-and-spice-safety-in-the-big-peanut-tainted-cumin-recalls/

The story of the peanut-tainted cumin begins, not in the United States, but in Turkey, the Mediterranean country that straddles Eastern Europe and western Asia, and has been famed for centuries for its exotic spice trade.

“I have a very strong suspicion that [the peanut in cumin] was intentional because the levels were so high,” Taylor recently told Allergic Living.