detection of food fraud: the analytical challenge

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Detection of food fraud: the analytical challenge

Franz Ulberth EC-JRC-IRMM

2 25 June 2014

Auction price beef: 3.71 €/kg

Auction price horse: 0.80 €/kg

• Numerous possible routes for introduction and trans-mission of foodborne hazard

• Each link in the chain is responsible for the quality and safety of its products

• Coordination of intervention and control strategies

•Communication between many stakeholders

Food supply chain

4

Source: Ercsey-Ravasz M, Toroczkai Z, Lakner Z, Baranyi J (2012) Complexity of the International Agro-Food Trade Network and Its Impact on Food Safety. PLoS ONE 7(5): e37810. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0037810, p.2.

Traceability systems

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Key characteristics of food fraud:

1. non-compliance with food law and/or misleading the consumer

2. which is done intentionally

3. for reasons of financial gain.

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Chemistry of crime

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Opportunity for Fraud

Fraudster

© J. Spinks

Main types of food fraud

• sale of food which is unfit for consumption and potentially harmful,

• knowingly selling goods which are past their 'use by' date, • deliberate misdescription of food, such as: products substituted

with a cheaper alternative, for example, farmed salmon sold as wild, and Basmati rice adulterated with cheaper varieties

• making false statements about the source of ingredients, i.e. their geographic, plant or animal origin

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Recent examples

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Adulterant Analytical solution Sudan dyes in spices Chromatography Melamine in milk powder Chromatography Horsemeat in beef PCR Gelatine in chicken breast Proteomics Misdescription of fish species PCR, DNA bar coding Conventional food/organic food HPLC, stable isotopes, etc Seed oils in olive oil Chromatography Cow's milk added to sheep's milk Electrophoresis Adulteration of fruit juices Chromatography, stable

isotopes, SNIF-NMR Adulteration of wine NMR, stable isotopes

Strategies to detect fraud

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Fundamental difference

Empirical difference

Targeted – untargeted analysis

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09010120

Time0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00 4.50 5.00 5.50 6.00 6.50 7.00 7.50 8.00 8.50 9.00 9.50 10.00

%

0

100

samples-1-53 1: TOF MS ES+ BPI

5.79e38.99

0.32

1.03

0.38

0.61

6.28

1.73

6.07

2.26

2.09

4.76

3.072.34 4.525.074.97

5.71

8.796.568.64

7.30

8.43

7.95

9.06

9.09

9.23

09010120

m/z50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900 950 1000

%

0

100

%

0

100

%

0

100samples-1-53 126 (1.033) 1: TOF MS ES+

2.61e3120.0807

103.0531

166.0859

121.0845167.0902

508.1958331.1635217.1613 310.1174 391.2854 462.1919 670.2462537.2233 877.0961690.1569 724.2760 900.0454 933.3073

samples-1-53 765 (6.297) 1: TOF MS ES+ 1.60e3520.3400

478.2933279.6462

149.9538105.963884.9606240.1008171.1488

280.1488441.2636337.2737 359.2395

479.2965

521.3455

522.3493570.2706

658.3416 808.9154699.3536 723.3315 827.8885

samples-1-53 1093 (8.994) 1: TOF MS ES+ 5.54e3782.5651

740.5238

502.3300410.7596149.953584.9605 319.1944301.1414171.1489 256.1551 389.7336 478.2814 599.5039575.4930 702.5064673.4350

741.5272

783.5795

784.5793

785.5859878.5724 938.8194

782.5651

520.3400

120.0807

m/z

genuine

adulterated

What we need Chemistry Suitable, validated analytical method(s) Reference materials/substances/data Forensics Criminological characteristics of food fraud Horizon-scans and intelligence gathering Whistle blowing Management Vulnerability analysis Risk management

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Joint Research Centre (JRC) www.jrc.ec.europa.eu Contact: franz.ulberth@ec.europa.eu

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