{"id":275,"date":"2018-05-14T08:03:51","date_gmt":"2018-05-14T08:03:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=275"},"modified":"2018-05-29T23:41:22","modified_gmt":"2018-05-29T23:41:22","slug":"forensic-accounting-can-predict-future-food-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/275\/forensic-accounting-can-predict-future-food-fraud\/","title":{"rendered":"Forensic accounting can predict future food fraud"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Food fraud, where different or low-quality food is deliberately mislabelled and sold as high-quality goods, risks the health of consumers as well as the economic viability of producers and manufacturers. To combat this, researchers have figured out that analysing the past and present behaviour of criminal activity could predict what they might target in the future.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Five years ago, food scientists discovered cheap horsemeat was being sold as beef in different products in supermarkets across Europe. Since then, initiatives to fight food fraud have geared up, but when that happened, researchers and legislators discovered that the scandal of horsemeat in the food chain that rocked the food industry was only the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n

For example, a\u00a0recent EU study into honey fraud<\/a>\u00a0found that at least 14% of samples tested did not conform to \u2018purity benchmarks\u2019 \u2013 and that\u2019s just one commodity. Elsewhere, the\u00a0EU Food Fraud Network<\/a>\u00a0received 353 reports of illegal mislabelling in 2017, up from 39 in 2016, which excluded cases reported to national authorities.<\/p>\n

\u2018Wherever there is potential for someone to make money, I expect food fraud to happen,\u2019 said Dr James Donarski, head of food authenticity at Fera Science, a UK agency developing scientific solutions across the agri-food supply chain.<\/p>\n

\u2018The EU has some of the most stringent laws concerning food fraud, (but) I expect it occurs more than we think,\u2019 added Dr Donarski.<\/p>\n

Forensic accounting<\/strong><\/p>\n

In cases of fraud, legitimate food producers lose money and consumers are ripped off. In response, researchers use an array of approaches, including forensic accounting, to discover where fraudsters may be operating and what they might target in the future.<\/p>\n

This type of early warning system looks at where there is an economic incentive to deceive, according to Dr Donarski, who is also the coordinator of FoodIntegrity, a research project developing food fraud solutions.<\/p>\n

The project\u2019s early warning system is designed to think like fraudsters and detects which supply chains may be exploited in the future. It analysed a wide range of factors, such as the data of over 5,000 globally traded products in over 200 countries, in an effort to identify abnormal financial signals like irregular prices and quantities.<\/p>\n

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‘Wherever there is potential for someone to make money, I expect food fraud to happen.’<\/p>\n

Dr James Donarski, Fera Science, UK<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

The researchers then used artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to distinguish between normal market fluctuations and emerging risks, such as new food trends with low regulation like coconut milk. The model was tested against known food fraud cases reported to the EU\u2019s special alert system and correctly predicted 80% of food and drink scams.<\/p>\n

\u2018It can be used for any foodstuff whatsoever,\u2019 said Dr Donarski. He says Fera is exploring how to support national bodies in implementing similar tools to help their authorities scrutinise high-risk items.<\/p>\n

Additionally, they are developing more effective verification tools for three high-risk foodstuffs \u2013 spirits, seafood and olive oil. Fraudsters that operate in these areas commonly rebottle cheap spirits as higher quality brands, mislabel seafood as more expensive species \u2013\u00a0which leads to a black market in\u00a0<\/a>fish \u2013 and dilute olive oil with lower grade oils.<\/p>\n

DNA sequencing<\/strong><\/p>\n

FoodIntegrity\u00a0tools will include next-generation DNA sequencing, which is an advanced biological verification technique that can quickly identify whether food products have been tampered with. Dr Donarski adds that several advances are happening with \u2018rapid, hand-held and portable screening methods\u2019 that could replace slower laboratory tests, allowing for quicker identification of fake products before they flood the market.<\/p>\n

To stay another step ahead of fraudsters, FoodIntegrity created a technology gap analysis that will guide future EU research needs, but sharing any food fraud science also carries risks, according to Dr Donarski.<\/p>\n

\u2018As researchers, we need to publish our methods and be open about what we are doing, but the problem is that fraudsters are quite clever and can look at our methods to stay ahead of them,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

According to Professor Paul Brereton, director of strategic alliances at the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen\u2019s University Belfast in Northern Ireland, authorities are now refocusing their efforts to work on fraud prevention.<\/p>\n

\u2018Traditionally, most funders and funds worked on a post-incident basis,\u2019 he said. \u2018There is now a realisation that there should be more funding for preventative measures.\u2019<\/p>\n

That requires international collaboration to not only develop effective verification methods, but also to remove the incentive for fraudulent behaviour in the first place.<\/p>\n

\u2018The main target for the fraudsters is the food industry. The consumer is sometimes affected but most of the fraud is committed business-to-business,\u2019 said Prof. Brereton. This can cause a domino effect after one business notices a competitor \u2018cutting corners and has to choose whether he goes out of business or cuts corners too\u2019, he said.<\/p>\n

Prof. Brereton is scientific coordinator of\u00a0Authent-Net<\/a>, a project set up to increase cohesion between EU Member State research funding bodies and to develop a joint research strategy to better fight food fraud. The project established an online platform where national food safety bodies can coordinate and strategise the fight against food fraud.<\/p>\n

A looming challenge is the expected growth in food production. By 2050, the food industry needs to feed an expected\u00a09 billion people and that is very attractive to criminal organisations because food fraud is often easier and more lucrative than other crimes, while penalties are less severe.<\/p>\n

At the same time, consumers expect fresh food of their choosing, regardless of the season, and that has created a dependency on global supply chains. Together this creates more opportunities for fake products to slip past because, as Prof. Brereton says, fraud does not respect borders.<\/p>\n

\u2018One Member State can\u2019t be responsible for addressing the issue happening in other Member States or countries \u2013 it needs communication.\u2019<\/p>\n

Originally published on Horizon<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Food fraud, where different or low-quality food is deliberately mislabelled and sold as high-quality goods, risks the health of consumers as well as the economic viability of producers and manufacturers. To combat this, researchers have figured out that analysing the past and present behaviour of criminal activity could predict what they might target in the … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":314,"featured_media":276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[2,92,44,37,79],"class_list":["post-275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-agriculture","tag-europe","tag-food","tag-health","tag-research"],"yoast_head":"\nForensic accounting can predict future food fraud - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/275\/forensic-accounting-can-predict-future-food-fraud\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Forensic accounting can predict future food fraud\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Food fraud, where different or low-quality food is deliberately mislabelled and sold as high-quality goods, risks the health of consumers as well as the economic viability of producers and manufacturers. 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These include\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/08\/Olive_branch.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/08\/Olive_branch.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/08\/Olive_branch.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/08\/Olive_branch.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/08\/Olive_branch.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/08\/Olive_branch.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3111,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/3111\/keeping-it-real-the-hidden-battle-against-fake-food\/","url_meta":{"origin":275,"position":1},"title":"Keeping it real: the hidden battle against fake food","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"June 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"From Mediterranean olive oil to Scandinavian fish, researchers are integrating digital technologies into Europe\u2019s key food industries to crack down on counterfeit products. By Ali Jones The rolling hills of Umbria present an idyllic view of some of Italy\u2019s finest and oldest olive groves. Now these ancient orchards are helping\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Agriculture"","block_context":{"text":"Agriculture","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/agriculture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The high value of extra virgin olive oil makes it a prime target for food fraud. \u00a9 sebra, Shutterstock.com","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/06\/03.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/06\/03.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/06\/03.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/06\/03.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2273,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2273\/baby-foods-take-centre-stage-in-push-for-more-safety-and-quality\/","url_meta":{"origin":275,"position":2},"title":"Baby foods take centre stage in push for more safety and quality","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"January 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Researchers are joining forces with the food and health industries to tighten controls and improve nutrition for infants and children. By\u00a0\u00a0DANIELA DE LORENZO If we are what we eat, as the saying goes, food quality is key to our health. And as food production and trade increase in response to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/01\/24-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/01\/24-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/01\/24-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/01\/24-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/01\/24-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/01\/24-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3047,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/3047\/from-fava-beans-to-future-foods-researchers-turn-to-plant-based-proteins-for-a-healthier-planet\/","url_meta":{"origin":275,"position":3},"title":"From fava beans to future foods: researchers turn to plant-based proteins for a healthier planet","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"April 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Crops like chickpeas, fava beans, lentils and quinoa could help make Europe\u2019s food systems more environmentally friendly and sustainable. By Michael Allen On Marianne Mulhall\u2019s organic dairy farm in southeast Ireland, the winter wheat crop is looking better than usual. By spring, it is often a bit yellow and withered,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Agriculture"","block_context":{"text":"Agriculture","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/agriculture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"EU-funded researchers are looking for alternative sources of protein to balance the environmental impact of meat production. \u00a9 pbd Studio, Shutterstock.com","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/04\/17.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/04\/17.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/04\/17.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/04\/17.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2985,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2985\/the-science-of-sourdough-how-citizens-are-helping-shape-the-future-of-fermented-foods\/","url_meta":{"origin":275,"position":4},"title":"The science of sourdough \u2013 how citizens are helping shape the future of fermented foods","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"February 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Citizen scientists are drawing on personal experience to help researchers create new plant-based fermented foods and maximise their health benefits. 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