Latest news with #foodfraud
Forbes
9 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Blockchain's Role In Fighting Food Fraud: Is Your Food Lying To You?
Frederik Gregaard, CEO, Cardano Foundation Navigating blockchain's impact on global finance & governance. Does the maple syrup you poured on your pancakes this morning actually contain just maple syrup? Or has an unscrupulous seller added in corn syrup, cane sugar or synthetic sweeteners that you would never choose to consume? What we eat has consequences for our health, well-being and finances, but even well-informed consumers can fall subject to food puffing or fraud. Food fraud (the act of misleading consumers to believe a product is something other than it is) is one of the most widespread global crimes affecting both companies and consumers today, with some recent estimates putting the cost of food fraud at $40 billion annually. The effects for both the businesses who engage unknowingly with unscrupulous providers and consumers are far-reaching, affecting both consumer trust and potentially business reputation. In some cases, food fraud can lead to serious health risks. It is not a problem we can afford to ignore. So, what can the average food or beverage provider do about this? Government regulation, though it catches some fraud, cannot combat all of it as much as government agencies might try. Notable examples in the past couple of decades of bad actors that agencies have caught and prosecuted include the melamine scandal in China, whereby kidney damaging chemicals were added to infant milk, or the widespread olive oil and horse meat frauds in Europe. For every notable case that gets uncovered, however, there are many more slipping under the radar. Food fraud isn't a new problem: For as long as there has been food, there has been food fraud. As far back as the Middle Ages, records highlight vendors adding chalk to flour, lead as a sweetener or shells, stones or dust to spices. What is new, however, is our capability to deal with it. Evolutions in technology can give us an answer to food fraud that we have never had before. That answer is blockchain. Why Blockchain Is Uniquely Suited To Combat Food Fraud For those unfamiliar with blockchain technology, a simple explanation is that it provides a shared ledger that stores records across a wide computer network, making it one of the most transparent, immutable and tamper-resistant technologies in the world. While traditional and smaller businesses have sometimes been slow to adopt new technologies, blockchain is one solution that has the ability to revolutionize supply chain traceability and authentication. Traditional supply chains, particularly for more traditional or long-established food and beverage suppliers, often rely on more outdated processes to conduct business: spreadsheets, email orders, manual intake forms, paper-based contracts and other difficult-to-trace processes. These processes make it hard to track products, ensure authenticity and understand transportation or storage conditions. In each of those processes, whereby information cannot be easily verified, the possibility of error or even outright fraud is introduced. This is where blockchain really comes into its own. An Ancient Product Meets The Most Modern Technology In 2021, the Cardano Foundation, in partnership with Scantrust, was given the opportunity to showcase blockchain technology and solve a problem for a unique enterprise: How could small and growing wine producers in Georgia, thought to be some of the oldest wine producers in the world, ensure the authenticity of their products while breathing new life into the knowledge and appreciation of Georgian wine on a global scale? We helped them leverage a bespoke supply chain traceability and anti-counterfeit solution that could allow artisan producers to meet digitally savvy consumers on a global scale. Initially rolled out in partnership with a family-owned vineyard, this solution highlighted how traditional enterprises can be enhanced rather than challenged by modern technology. Built on a connected goods and products platform that provides digitalization for brand protection, supply chain traceability, and consumer engagement, the solution allowed potential customers to scan a QR code on the back of a bottle of wine. From that scan, the consumer could see proof of the wine's authenticity, from grape to bottling and sale. This increased consumer trust and ensured consumers that they were indeed supporting a family-owned and artisan operation as intended. In return, these winemakers were able to connect metadata that might not otherwise have been collectible, meaning they could follow the wine along its journey and see exactly where it ended up. In this case, this included markets they had never sold in before, allowing the organization to extend sales and marketing reach in those areas if they so wished. Similar success stories have been seen with major global organizations. French supermarket conglomerate Carrefour first piloted this technology with chickens in 2018. Siemens, too, has implemented blockchain solutions to help with seafood traceability. Implementing Blockchain Successfully Food fraud may never be fully eliminated, and blockchain, while revolutionary, is not a silver bullet. If you are vetting a solution that promises immediate gains without a bit of trial, error and training, be wary. As an emerging technology, "out-of-the-box" blockchain solutions are not ubiquitous, so partnering with a resourced and knowledgeable provider is essential. As we experienced with our Georgian wine solution, with new practices, employee training and regular testing are essential to a smooth implementation process. This also demands buy-in from all stakeholders. If your entire team isn't on board—and up-to-date on how to use this new technology—you won't get very far. These initial start-up challenges are not insurmountable, though. With some due diligence, it's possible to get past those stumbling blocks and start reaping the benefits of blockchain technology, a solution that I believe poses a modern solution to an ancient problem. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Associated Press
08-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Sharp Rise in Fraud for Nuts, Dairy, and Cereals: Q1 2025 Findings from FOODAKAI's Global Food Fraud Index
Key product categories such as nuts, dairy, and cereals experience significant fraud increases, with emerging risks in garlic and non-alcoholic beverages. CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, May 8, 2025 / / -- FOODAKAI 's latest Global Food Fraud Index reveals a significant spike in food fraud incidents across high-consumption categories. In Q1 2025, nuts, dairy products, and cereals experienced some of the sharpest increases in reported fraud, with new risks emerging in garlic and non-alcoholic beverages. The Index—published quarterly—tracks verified food fraud cases reported by global food safety authorities. Findings from the first quarter of 2025 reveal volatile patterns in vulnerable commodities, impacting procurement, quality assurance, and supply chain integrity. Key Q1 2025 Highlights: - Nuts, Seeds & Nut-Based Products: +358% rise in incidents, mostly due to species substitution, allergen risks, and origin fraud. - Dairy Products: Though incident numbers remain low, cases involving counterfeit butter and milk adulteration are rising, indicating early escalation. - Cereals & Bakery Products: 23% increase, driven by mislabeling, illegal additives, and pesticide-related compliance failures. - New Risks: Garlic and non-alcoholic beverages appeared as emerging fraud targets for the first time in the Index. 'It is extremely important for the food industry to identify the commodities most at risk from food fraud globally,' says Professor Chris Elliott, Founder of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen's University Belfast. 'FOODAKAI's Global Food Fraud Index has identified some new threats I was unaware of, while others were high on my radar.' The report also confirms persistent threats in seafood, with a 74% year-on-year increase due to species substitution and antibiotic misuse in aquaculture. The FOODAKAI Global Food Fraud Index quarterly provides food manufacturers, regulatory authorities, and supply chain partners with a data-driven snapshot of fraud and adulteration trends, based on verified incidents from global food safety authorities. The Index empowers stakeholders to shift from reactive to predictive risk management. To stay informed, food industry professionals can sign up for free alerts of globally reported food safety incidents at About FOODAKAI FOODAKAI provides AI-driven food risk intelligence, tracking global recalls, import refusals, and fraud incidents to help industry professionals stay ahead of emerging threats. Media Contact Georgia Briseniou [email protected] Georgia Briseniou Agroknow PC + +30 21 0689 7905 email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
