The United Kingdom's Federal Food Agency on Tuesday announced the launch of a new advisory unit to support local authorities in tackling food fraud violations, such as species substitution.
The Food Fraud Advisory Unit (FFAU) is made up of 16 officials with food fraud investigative experience, most of whom are local enforcement officers. The FFAU members have agreed, with the support of their employers, to provide advice to any local authority involved in investigating food fraud.
The FFA defines food fraud as food deliberately placed on the market with the intention of deceiving consumers for financial gain. The two main types are the sale of food that is unfit for human consumption and potentially harmful and deliberate mislabeling of food.
