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Food Fraud & Authenticity

Consumers need to be sure about the quality and origin of the foods they eat. Food fraud jeopardizes product authenticity, causes economic damage, and can pose a risk to consumers’ health. Mérieux NutriSciences offers food companies long-standing scientific expertise to prevent and reduce food adulteration, thereby safeguarding food authenticity.

Food Fraud is the deliberate production and/or commercialization of non-compliant food for economic gain that could impact consumers’ health.

According to the GFSI, frauds can be of different nature:

GFSI Types of FraudDefinition by SSAFE
DilutionMixing a liquid ingredient of high value with a liquid of lower value
SubstitutionReplacing an ingredient or part of a product with another of lower value
ConcealmentHiding the low quality of a food ingredient or product
Unapproved enhancementAdding unknown/undeclared materials to food products in order to enhance their quality attribute
MislabelingPlacing false claims on packaging
CounterfeitingCopying the brand, name, processing, etc. of food products for economic gain
The most common frauds according to the GFSI

When dealing with food fraud and authenticity, many factors must be considered, necessitating an integrated approach on a case-by-case basis. This includes evaluating the product, the specific food chain, historical data, socio-economic trends, and more.

Our Comprehensive Services to prevent Food Fraud

Our full-service offering covers active monitoring of food frauds and alerts worldwide, supported by dedicated consulting to assess risks, the design of preventive measures and mitigation plans, and the delivery of customized analytical protocols to tackle adulteration.

Why Choose Mérieux NutriSciences?

  • Dedicated Expert Professionals: Our global network of scientific experts belongs to international working groups, ensuring awareness of current and emerging issues and the ability to customize approaches.
  • Long-standing Expertise and Experience in Tackling Food Fraud: We possess a deep understanding of supply chains, products at risk, and the most appropriate analytical solutions.
  • Cutting-edge Technological Equipment: Our laboratories use the most advanced scientific and technological tools. Additionally, our partnerships with leading international manufacturers of scientific instruments enhance our capabilities.
  • Food Science Center: We operate a dedicated excellence center focused on delivering standard and customized analytical solutions, employing both targeted and non-targeted techniques.
  • International Presence: With a presence in 27 countries and around 100 accredited laboratories worldwide, we maintain consistent global quality standards.

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