Protect your business from food fraud

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Food fraud is a constant threat to all food manufacturing businesses on the island of Ireland, regardless of size. But how does a food business operator know if their business is susceptible to food fraud?  All food businesses should be aware of the ‘drivers’ that can facilitate food fraud, including economic drivers:

• Resource shortages affecting the supply of ingredients
• High value associated with ingredients
• Variations in ingredient pricing between countries
• Suppliers struggling financially

and behavioural drivers:

• Fraudsters may feel the only way to achieve company targets is through cheating.

If you are a food manufacturing business, you should consider the following issues and ensure your business is not vulnerable. Thankfully, there are lots of resources to help you in this regard.

1. Know what food fraud is and the impact it can have on your business

Subscribe to news & alerts for information relating to food fraud

• safefood Knowledge Network
• Food Standards Agency (FSA) for Northern Ireland 
• Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) 
• The Food Authenticity Network 
• EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) Food Fraud Monthly 

Learn more about food fraud with online courses

• SSAFE Lecture Series in Food Crime Prevention

2. Know your ingredients

Check market prices for food/agriculture products and market information

• Tridge (food market intelligence hub)
• Livestock & Meat Commission
• Bord Bia (Cattle, Pig and Sheep Dashboards

Check historical information for different food categories

• Food Adulteration Incidents Registry (FAIR)

Monitor ingredients for food fraud and safety issues using online databases

• Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) free access

View food fraud risk information that is specific to your ingredients/food products

• The Food Fraud Advisors’ Information Board (Trello)

3. Know your suppliers

Check a supplier’s background, product range and accreditation

• Directory for Northern Ireland (BuyNIfood)
• For Ireland (Irish Food & Drink)

Check a supplier’s creditworthiness before agreeing contracts

• Credit check website for businesses

Check the domain details for a supplier’s website or phone number

• For websites (who.is)
• For phone numbers (phone-validator)

Check if a supplier has any Judgments, Orders or Fines against them

• Trustonline - For Northern Ireland and Ireland, £10 check

4. Know if you are vulnerable to food fraud

• Food Fraud Resilience Self-Assessment Tool (NFCU)
• SSAFE Food Fraud Vulnerability Assessment Tool
• Food Fraud: Vulnerability Assessment Checklist
• Food Fraud Advisors Vulnerability Assessment for Food Fraud

5. Know how to protect your business

• Guarding Against Fraud – Advice for Small Businesses, The Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST)
• Food Authenticity: Five Steps to Help Protect your Business from Food Fraud, Food & Drink Federation
• Guide to Preventing Fraud in the Food Industry, PremiumLab
• Food Crime Strategic Assessment 2020, National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) and the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit (SFCIU)

6. Know where to seek help and report food fraud

For Ireland, contact the FSAI

• FSAI online complaint form.
• Email: [email protected]
• Advice Line: 1890 33 66 77.

For Northern Ireland, contact the FSA

• FSA online complaint 
• Email at [email protected].
• Telephone: 028 9041 7700