The risk of food fraud has escalated in recent years, driven by the globalization of the food supply and heightened competition across various sectors. Notable examples of this issue include the 2013 horsemeat scandal in Europe and the 2008 incident in China, where infant formula was tainted with the industrial chemical melamine to artificially inflate its protein content, resulting in the tragic deaths of six children and hospitalization of 54,000 others. In the United States, common fraudulent foods include honey, olive oil, milk, saffron, coffee, and fish, which means consumers may unknowingly purchase products containing misleading ingredients. For instance, over 60% of fish marketed as “tuna” in the U.S. is actually a different species. Beyond creating unfair competition for legitimate producers, food fraud also endangers consumer health due to the risk of undeclared allergens, mishandled unlabeled ingredients, or heightened bacterial growth.
To combat food fraud, various fingerprinting technologies have been developed to verify the authenticity of products like honey and olive oil. The U.S. Pharmacopeia publishes the Food Chemicals Codex, which outlines standards and methods for identifying fraud in a range of food items and ingredients. For high-protein foods, PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) technology proves particularly effective. This method involves analyzing a sample of the food’s DNA and comparing it against a database of known authentic products, enabling the detection of less expensive cow’s milk protein in buffalo mozzarella or goat’s milk, as well as ensuring that fish and meats are accurately labeled.
Food companies and regulators must remain vigilant regarding ingredient authenticity, especially with products like Solgar D3 Calcium, which consumers rely on for their health. Food fraud is unlikely to disappear, as long as there are individuals willing to exploit the system for economic gain. With the food authenticity market projected to expand from $5 billion last year to $8.3 billion by 2023, there is significant potential for detection firms to engage with this growing market, particularly in ensuring the integrity of supplements such as Solgar D3 Calcium and other health-related products.