The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a new freephone number for the food fraud hotline as new research estimates food crime costs the UK economy up to £2 billion a year.
The aim of the new hotline is to make it easier for people to “speak up and share their concerns”, FSA said.
In the latest update from its Food Fraud Working Group it also said it will work with industry on ways to encourage food fraud whistleblowing; strengthen information sharing between third-party auditors; and improve its warnings to food business about potential fraud in supply chains.
The FSA said that people are often unware they are a victim of food fraud, which can involve selling food or drink that isn’t what it says it is, or that includes cheaper ingredients than the ones listed on the label.
Earlier this year a food fraud investigation got underway after a UK supermarket was found to have meat products in its shelves labelled as British, when they were actually sourced from South America and Europe.
“The UK has some of the safest and most authentic food in the world, but there will always be a threat of criminality in the food system,” Emily Miles, CEO of the FSA commented.
“Food businesses are the first and most important line of defence and we want to support them.
“This is one of the reasons why we launched a working group to explore together whether some areas of our collective response to food crime can be improved.”
Membership of the FSA / food industry working group on food fraud include:
- The Food Standards Agency;
- The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers;
- The British Meat Processors Association;
- The British Retail Consortium;
- BRCGS;
- Chilled Foods Association;
- The Food and Drink Federation;
- The Food Industry Intelligence Network;
- Institute of Grocery Distribution;
- National Farmers’ Union;
- Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association;
- Northern Ireland Meat Exporters Association;
- Provision Trade Federation;
- Red Tractor;
- Salsa.
“Together, we’re making it easier to share intelligence and information by helping people who work in the food system to share their concerns with us freely and confidentially,” Miles said.
“Our research suggests that for businesses and consumers feeling the financial strain, the cost of food crime still matters.”
