The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently published a background paper, “International and National Regulatory Strategies to Counter Food Fraud.” The publication describes the challenges and complexities of food fraud regulation, and also discusses the available international regulatory guidance and legal strategies for combatting food fraud. It also identifies and dissects different regulatory approaches to food fraud around the world and explores the role of the private sector in fighting food fraud.
The paper acknowledges that, although no common definition of food fraud exists, it can be defined as the intentional deception of consumers about the quality and/or contents of foods to obtain an undue advantage. The paper also highlights the complexities of modern food fraud that effective regulation must consider, including: