ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES Food

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

FoodALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE: any fermented liquor, such as wine, beer, or distilled spirit that contains ethyl ethanol or alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are fermented from the sugars in fruits, berries, grains, or other ingredients as plant saps, tubers, honey or milk and can be distilled to reduce the original watery liquid to a liquid of much greater alcoholic strength. (Source: Encyclopædia Britannica)

FraudsDue to their high market value, many brands

of wine and liquor are at risk of being counterfeit, mislabelled and adulterated:

dilution with water or cheap alcohol is a common fraud, as well as addition of

undeclared sugars or sweeteners and even substitution of the

beverage with a lower value one. False geographical origin

declaration is another common fraud, and high

quality wine brands are one of the

most affected categories.

AnalysesChromatography

Mass SpectrometrySpectroscopy (rapid)

CaseHistory

WINE ADULTERATION AND DILUTION – ITALY 2008

Traces of fertilizers, exogenous sugars, water, acids and carcinogenic substances were found in over 70 million litres of low price wine sold in Italy.

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CEREALS / FLOURS

Food CEREAL: any grass (family Poaceae) yielding starchy seeds suitable for food. Cereals are usually marketed in their raw grain form or as ingredients for various food products (e.g. flours). As animal feed, they are consumed mainly by livestock and poultry, which are eventually rendered as meat, dairy and poultry products for human consumption. The cereals most commonly cultivated are wheat, rice, rye, oats, barley, corn (maize) and sorghum. (Source: Encyclopædia Britannica)

FraudsThe most common frauds include addition

of exogenous compounds (e.g. melamine, used to apparently increase the products’

protein content), false organic farming declaration and partial or complete

substitution with different species: a typical case of counterfeiting

consists in the substitution of durum wheat (Triticum durum

– the most suitable cereal for the production of

pasta) with lower value soft wheat.

AnalysesBiomolecular analyses

Biomolecular analyses (rapid)Chromatography

Mass SpectrometrySpectroscopy

Spectroscopy (rapid)

CaseHistory

WHEAT FALSE ORGANIC FARMING DECLARATION – ITALY / EUROPE 2011

Pesticide residues were found in wheat distributed through the whole continent under an organic farming

certification.


COCOA / CHOCOLATE

FoodCOCOA is a highly concentrated powder made from chocolate liquor (a paste prepared from cocoa beans, the fruit of Theobroma cacao). Processed cocoa beans are also used to prepare a wide variety of chocolate compounds (e.g. solid chocolate bars, syrups, toppings, bakery products and beverages). (Source: Encyclopædia Britannica)

FraudsChocolate compounds are exposed to the

risk of being adulterated with exogenous materials, or mixed with fats of different species origin to improve the flavour; in

some cases, producers or distributors were even found adding artificial or

different origin material to cocoa powder in order to increase its

weight. False declarations of species or geographical

origin represent a significant risk, as

well.

AnalysesArtificial sensing system (rapid)

Biomolecular analyses Biomolecular analyses (rapid)

ChromatographyMass Spectrometry

SpectroscopySpectroscopy (rapid)

CaseHistory

ADDITION OF NON-FOOD MATERIAL TO COCOA BEANS – GHANA 2015

Stones were added to sealed cocoa beans for export in order to increase the weight.


COFFEE

FoodCOFFEE is a beverage brewed from the roasted and ground seeds of an evergreen coffee plant of African origin; it is among the most popular beverages in the world, and one of the most profitable global commodities. Two species of the coffee plant supply nearly all the world’s consumption: Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora, commonly known as Robusta; the latter is usually less expensive. (Source: Encyclopædia Britannica)

FraudsLike cocoa powder, coffee powder and soluble coffee are likely to be mixed

with exogenous materials to increase the content’s weight, or adulterated by

undeclared sugars and sweeteners. Cases of mislabelling are also quite

common, especially false species origin declaration (Robusta

variety declared as Arabica). AnalysesBiomolecular analyses



CaseHistory

ARABICA COFFEE BLENDING AND MISLABELLING – WORLDWIDE 2012

A significant number of international coffee distributors were found blending Arabica ground coffee with undeclared mixtures of different varieties (e.g. Robusta, hybrids).


EGGS

FoodEGGS are the content of the hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird, considered as food. Eggs laid by domestic fowl (primarily chickens, ducks and geese but also other species as guinea fowl and quails) are mainly sold for human consumption (they are consumed fresh or used in the production of a wide variety of processed foods). (Source: Encyclopædia Britannica)

FraudsMany cases of food fraud concerning the

production of eggs involve the addition of exogenous – and sometimes harmful –

substances (e.g. artificial dyes, oils or fats), aimed to improve the product’s flavour,

appearance etc. False declarations of organic farming or geographical

origin are a common risk, too, as well as the fraudulent

substitution of fresh eggs with undeclared

incubated or frozen-thawed ones.

AnalysesArtificial sensing systems (rapid)



CaseHistory

MILLIONS OF BATTERY EGGS SOLD AS FREE RANGE – UK 2006

Tens of millions of eggs falsely passed as free range. Mislabelled eggs sold as free range ended up on the shelves of supermarkets.


FISH

FoodFISH is the term commonly used to describe all forms of edible fish, shellfish and crustaceans that inhabit an aquatic environment; wild or farmed fish from marine and freshwater bodies have been a major source of food for humankind since ancient times. Modern methods of processing and preservation have encouraged the consumption of many species that are still popular throughout the world. (Source: Encyclopædia Britannica)

FraudsMislabelling (e.g. false species / geographical

origin declaration, farmed fish declared as wild) is among the most common frauds. Substituting high quality species with lower

value or even potentially toxic ones, is also a widespread practice, and so

is temperature abuse: in some cases, traders and distributors

have been found breaking the regulations concerning

storage temperatures, or declaring frozen-

thawed fish as fresh.


Biomolecular analyses (rapid)Chromatography

Mass Spectrometry

CaseHistory

WHITE TUNA MISLABELLING – SPAIN 2013

A significant amount of white tuna samples from restaurants and grocery stores all around Spain were found to be mislabelled and substituted with Escolar, a potentially toxic species that closely resembles the fish usually distributed under the market name “white tuna”; the surrogate species was also of undeclared

geographical origin.


FRUIT / DERIVATIVES

FoodFRUIT: from the consumer’s or food processor’s point of view, the definition includes the edible product of a plant or tree that consists of the seed and its envelope and can be described as juicy, sweet and pulpy, and usually rich in nutritive substances such as fibres and vitamins that make fruit a valuable part of the human diet, consumed raw or processed to obtain preparations as marmalades, jams or juices. (Source: Encyclopædia

Britannica)

FraudsMany cases of adulteration, mislabelling (e.g. false declaration of geographical

origin or organic farming) and dilution concern fruit based preparations and

especially juices; high price juices are the most prone to the risk of being

diluted or partially substituted by material of different

species origin. Undeclared exogenous sweeteners

might be added to fruit compounds in order

to enhance the flavour, too.


ChromatographyMass spectrometry


CaseHistory

POMEGRANATE JUICE DILUTION, ADULTERATION AND MISLABELLING – USA 2008

US food safety authorities ascertained the dilution and adulteration of juice samples labelled as “100% pomegranate” by exogenous sweeteners and syrups.


HONEY

FoodHONEY is a sugary, viscous liquid food, generally golden in colour, produced in the honey sacs of bees by the nectar of flowers. The differences between the organoleptic properties of each variety are due to the botanical species from which the nectar is gathered; such differences determine the varieties’ market value. Honey has been used since ancient ages as a sweetener substance to add to many kinds of food. (Source: Encyclopædia

Britannica)

FraudsHigh value honey varieties, such as the rare

Manuka honey produced in Australia and New Zealand, are exposed to the risk of being

adulterated by exogenous sweeteners to improve their flavour or substituted

with low quality material. Cases of mislabelling have also occurred

(false declaration of geographical, botanical

or animal origin). Analyses

Artificial sensing systems (rapid)

Chemometric analysesMass Spectrometry


CaseHistory

MANUKA HONEY ADULTERATION AND FALSE

BOTANICAL ORIGIN DECLARATION – WORLDWIDE 2013

A significant number of Manuka honey samples globally distributed were found to

contain exogenous syrups and honey of different botanical origin.


MEAT

FoodMEAT: the definition includes the flesh or other edible parts of animals (usually domesticated cattle, swine, sheep or wild game) used for food, including not only muscles and fat, but also tendons and ligaments. Meat is valued as a complete protein food containing all the amino acids necessary for the human body. (Source: Encyclopædia Britannica)

FraudsAmong meat based preparations, meatballs

and burger formulations are the most vulnerable to adulteration, mislabelling and partial or complete substitution with different,

lower value or potentially toxic species. False geographical origin and false

organic breeding declaration are common frauds, as well.


Biomolecular analyses (rapid)Chemical sensors


Mass Spectrometry (rapid)Spectroscopy


CaseHistory

MEAT BASED PRODUCTS ADULTERATION BY HORSE MEAT

– EUROPE 2013

Meat based ready meals distributed by retailers and restaurants (lasagne, beef and pork formulations) were found to contain undeclared, untraceable meats (horse meat)

and veterinary drugs.


MILK / DAIRY PRODUCTS

FoodMILK is the liquid secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals to nourish their young. The milk of some domesticated animals (mostly cattle, sheep and goat) is an important food source for humans, either as a fresh fluid or processed into a wide variety of dairy products such as butter and cheeses. Milk is usually rich in proteins, fats, dissolved sugars, minerals and vitamins. (Source: Encyclopædia Britannica)

FraudsMilk formulations such as milk powder are prone to be diluted or adulterated with

exogenous fats or oils; false geographical origin declaration is another common fraud.

In matter of European high value dairy products (e.g. Parmigiano Reggiano

cheese), risks include the violation of PDO protocol requirements.




CaseHistory

MILK POWDER ADULTERATION – CHINA 2013

Milk powder samples were found to contain melamine, added to increase the apparent protein content. The fraud had a dramatic impact on public health.


MUSHROOMS

FoodMUSHROOMS are the umbrella-shaped fruiting bodies (sporophores) of certain fungi. The term is popularly used to identify sporophores suitable for human consumption; many species of edible mushrooms are consumed and regarded as a delicacy in several areas of the world. (Source: Encyclopædia Britannica)

FraudsAmong the most common frauds

concerning mushrooms and mushroom-based preparations, there are: addition of

exogenous material in order to enhance the product’s appearance, adulteration and

substitution with lower quality varieties or species and, naturally, mislabelling

frauds such as false species origin or organic farming

declaration. AnalysesArtificial sensing systems

(rapid)Chromatography

Spectroscopy

CaseHistory

MUSHROOM PRODUCTS FALSE GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN AND ORGANIC FARMING DECLARATION – USA 2007

Mushroom-based products labelled as “organic” were found to be diluted and, in some cases, partially substituted with conventionally farmed mushrooms; the geographical origin of the surrogate material was also different from the one declared

on labels.


OILS

FoodOILS: in matter of food, they are identified as greasy, liquids insoluble in water, obtained from animal and plant substances. Many types of liquid oils come from plant seeds and fruits (e.g. olives, soybeans, sunflower seeds) and serve a wide range of culinary purposes as dressings, frying substances and ingredients for different preparations. (Source: Encyclopædia Britannica)

FraudsHigh value oils such as EVO oil are often subject to addition of different oil

varieties or even complete substitution. In some cases, artificial compounds are

also employed to adulterate oils; such products can also happen to be

mislabelled in many ways (false declaration of geographical

origin, species origin or organic farming). Analyses


Spectroscopy

CaseHistory

EVO OIL ADULTERATION – ITALY 2012

Olive oil samples were found containing b-carotene, chlorophyll and seed oil. The final product was meant to be distributed in restaurants and by door-to-door delivery companies as high

value extra virgin olive oil in the regions of Tuscany, Emilia Romagna and Lazio. 5000 litres of adulterated oil were seized by the local authorities.


SPICES

FoodSPICES: parts of various plants cultivated for the aromatic, pungent or otherwise desirable flavour of the substances they contain. They can be obtained from different parts of the plant (rhizomes, bulbs, buds, seeds, leaves…) and are commonly used dried, although some herbs – such as basil or rosemary – are often employed fresh. The main purpose of spices is to enhance flavours of other foods. (Source: Encyclopædia

Britannica)

FraudsAdulteration by undeclared artificial dyes or flavourings is one of the most common

frauds in matter of dried and powdered spices; false geographical or species origin

declaration and substitution with other plants are widespread fraudulent

habits, as well.

AnalysesArtificial sensing systems

(rapid)Biomolecular analyses


Mass spectrometry (rapid)Spectroscopy


CaseHistory

VANILLIN ADULTERATION – ITALY 2010

Samples of imported vanillin were found to contain traces of unpermitted artificial additives (toluen).


TOMATO / DERIVATIVES

FoodTOMATO (Solanum lycopersicum) is a flowering plant belonging to the solanaceae family, extensively cultivated for its edible fruits, which are commonly eaten raw in salads or used in several sorts of preparations (paste, juice, sauce) popular in many areas of the world. (Source: Encyclopædia Britannica)

FraudsTomato juice and other similar compounds

are particularly vulnerable to adulteration or substitution with overripe or GMO material. Mislabelling frauds such as false

declaration of organic farming or species origin are common, too.

AnalysesArtificial sensory systems

(rapid)Biomolecular analyses


Mass spectrometry (rapid)Spectroscopy


CaseHistory

PEELED TOMATOES FALSE GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN / ORGANIC FARMING DECLARATION AND PDO MISLABELLING

– ITALY 2013

Peeled tomatoes for export were declared as organic, Italian and PDO; they were actually untraceable, imported from China and stored in conditions favouring risks of contamination.


VINEGAR

FoodVINEGAR is a sour liquid obtained from the fermentation of numerous dilute alcoholic liquids into a liquid containing acetic acid. Vinegar can be produced from a variety of materials: apples, grapes or cereals such as barley or rice. Vinegar’s principal uses are the flavouring and the preservation – or pickling – of foods. (Source: Encyclopædia Britannica)

FraudsHigh quality brands of vinegar (Balsamic

vinegar of Modena, for instance) are subject to the risk of dilution with water, complete or

partial substitution with lower value material or false geographical and / or species

origin declaration.

AnalysesChemical sensors



CaseHistory

BALSAMIC VINEGAR ADULTERATION AND ADDITION

– GERMANY / SWITZERLAND 2011

Samples of balsamic vinegar were found to be diluted with different types of vinegar; they also contained exogenous acetic acid.


ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES Food

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