Food fraud prevention: Authentication and traceability

Abstract

Food fraud refers to the act of making deliberate changes to food and its labels with intent to deceive, and this is a major concern to most food safety standards, consumer confidence, and global economy. Recognizing the fact that counterfeiting activities are on the rise as the food supply chain becomes elongated around the globe, sound prevention measures are called for. This review therefore seeks to establish the importance of food authentication and traceability systems in avoiding the risks associated with food fraud. Identification and confirmation of the origin and content of food products is best done through spectroscopy, DNA profiling and isotopic analysis. Systems of traceability opened by the technologies of a blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT) and bar code help effectively track the flow of food products through the chain, holding producers, transporters and sellers, accountable from the farm to the consumer. All these systems combined help in determining the areas of weaknesses, improving the regulatory standards and protecting the consumers. Therefore, this paper recommends that there is a need for increased multi-stakeholder cooperation, enhanced regulation, and ongoing firm technological development in the fight against food fraud internationally.