FDA fighting increasing food fraud
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An estimated 5 to 7 percent of the U.S. food supply is affected by food fraud, according to John Spink, an expert on food and packaging fraud at Michigan State University. An article in The Washington Post details how the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is trying to fight off the fraudsters.
The range of forged food products includes honey, milk, fruit juice, olive oil, spices, vinegar, wine, spirits, maple syrup and seafood, among many others.
According to The Post article, FDA investigators have gone high tech. The authority now has the technology to check the origins of food by DNA testing or isotope ratio analysis.
During DNA testing, technicians identify the species by comparing the DNA, extracted from food products, to a database of samples.
By conducting an isotope ratio analysis, experts can determine slight differences between food -- whether a fish was farmed or wild, for example, or whether caviar came from Finland or a U.S. stream.
Author Lyndsey Layton says not only individual shoppers fell victim to these food scams, but also large chains, multimillion enterprises, including Heinz USA, Kraft Foods and E&J Gallo.
Read more in The Washington Post...