The economically motivated adulteration of food is an elusive, criminal act with the potential to cause public health issues, brand damage and monetary losses.
Since the 2008 recession, companies and global organizations have reported an uptick in food fraud, spurring initiatives to address the growing concern about it. The effects of a food fraud incident can range from significant economic losses for processors to harming people’s health. However, guarding against this criminal act requires a different perspective and uses different skills than those of food defense, which specifically protects against tampering with the intent to harm, or food safety, which addresses unintentional or accidental adulteration.