Risks of food fraud in UK "changing," says new report

While the risk of food fraud in the UK remains low, there are signs that geopolitical events causing disruptions in the food chain may have contributed to a "changing threat" of food crime.

That is the conclusion of a just-published report from the Food Standard Agency (FSA) and Food Standard Scotland (FSS) – called Food Crime Strategic Assessment 2024 (PDF) – which highlights food fraud trends and lays out the priorities to respond to this type of criminal activity.

The drivers for the changes in crime patterns are the current economic situation in the UK, which has led to cost-of-living pressures, geopolitical events such as the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and the Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, and changes to legal frameworks governing the movement of food across UK borders including the UK's exit from the EU.

Those have all come to a head since the last edition of the report four years ago, along with a sharp increase in illicit imports of grey market goods appearing in retail outlets, notably non-compliant alcohol, confectionery, soft drinks and meat products.

The main types of food crime identified in the report are: misrepresentation of red meat and poultry with regards to status, origin or durability date; waste diversion of food products intended for disposal back into the supply chain; falsely claiming products like lamb and pork comply with cultural requirements like halal and kosher; and various forms of food adulteration and misrepresentation. Counterfeiting meanwhile dominates food crime involving alcoholic beverages.

Looking ahead, the report anticipates continued supply chain disruption in the next 12 to 24 months due to "increasing frequency of extreme weather events and global geopolitical tensions."

Areas of concern are declining resources in local authorities to carry out inspections and investigations into food crime, with one in five at risk of bankruptcy, the introduction of new border controls required by the UK's exit from the EU, and continuing economic pressures on consumers and businesses.

The report also covers the use of food authenticity technologies, which could assist in the fight against food crime, but says take-up of these is likely to be affected by budgetary challenges.

"We're confident that in the UK most food is what it says it is, but even small levels of food fraud are unacceptable," said Andrew Quinn, Head of the FSA's National Food Crime Unit (NFCU).

"Food businesses are the first line of defence in ensuring food is safe and authentic; the Food Crime Strategic Assessment encourages food businesses to know their supply chain and manage fraud risks within them," he added. "We're sharing what they need to look out for and we're encouraging businesses to take up our free support."