New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/11/2014 -- The long awaited Elliot Review into the Integrity and Assurance of Food Supply Networks-Final Report (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/350726/elliot-review-final-report-july2014.pdf) was released last week. The report represents perhaps the most thorough analysis on the problem of Food Fraud in the United Kingdom. Professor Elliott’s work is highly commendable. It provides 8 pillars of food integrity/recommendations to combat Food Fraud all of which make good sense.
Through no fault of Professor Elliott, the entire basis of the report is flawed. The UK Government is putting the cart before the horse (no pun intended).When discussing Food Fraud, the first premise that must be considered is that Food Fraud is a global problem. Professor Elliott recognizes this when he states that “…we cannot escape the need to actively participate in global food supply systems and must develop a new mentality when sourcing from sometimes highly complex international markets.” Had this been the basis upon which the report was written, much more progress could have been achieved to combat Food Fraud.
Countries like the United Kingdom have an obligation to protect their citizens. Horsegate, one of the incidents that prompted the UK Government to commission the Elliott report, was not solely a UK problem. In fact, even if all of Professor Elliott’s recommendations had been implemented prior to Horsegate, it could not have been avoided in the UK.So long as there are cheaper sources of food ingredients in far way places, Food Fraud will continue to plague the UK and every other food importing nation including the United States.
No matter how much policing of Food Fraud is increased domestically, no matter how many audits are done or laboratory tests are conducted, the simple fact of the matter is that the volume of food ingredients that come into our countries and that are incorporated into the food we eat, from countries that are rife with food fraud, makes it impossible to stop the problem.
Consumer awareness, zero-tolerance, laboratory services, audits, government support, leadership and crisis management, 7 of the 8 pillars of food integrity found in Professor Elliott’s report, do not singularly nor collectively address the problem of Food Fraud. Each provides either a way, some more effectively than others, to detect Food Fraud and to deal with Food Fraud once it is discovered. The only way that Food Fraud can be significantly be curbed is with intelligence and customized actions that are based on that intelligence. Horizon scanningand information databases are of limited use when there is limited ability to gather extraterritorial intelligence.
Once consumers, the food industry and regulators have an understanding as to the breadth and scope of the problem, plans can begin to be formulated. Domestic policing will help to some degree, but when 99% of Food Fraud is occurring outside of the countries where we live, as Professor Elliott states, we must develop a new mentality to combat Food Fraud.
About INSCATECH
INSCATECH is the first and only company in the world that is actively taking steps to figure out who, where, when and how Food Fraud is being committed. By identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in the supply chain (at each node from source) INSCATECH also serves to prevent future cases of Food Fraud. INSCATECH is the only company in the world that can equip the food industry and consumers with the tools to combat Food Fraud.
For more information, please visit: www.inscatech.com
Contact:
INSCATECH Corporation
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Mitchell Weinberg
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info@inscatech.com
www.inscatech.com