UK: Food Fraud Advisory Unit launched

The Food Fraud Advisory Unit (FFAU) is a group of 16 officials with extensive skills and experience in carrying out food fraud investigations, most of whom are practicing local authority enforcement officers. The FFAU members have agreed, with the support of their employers, to provide advice, on request, to any UK local authority involved in investigating food fraud. This could include any illegal activity relating to food or feed.

Food fraud is committed when food is deliberately placed on the market, for financial gain, with the intention of deceiving the consumer. This could include the sale of food that is unfit and potentially harmful, such as recycling of animal by-products back into the food chain, or packing and selling of beef and poultry with an unknown origin. This could also include making false statements about the source of ingredients, i.e. their geographic, plant or animal origin.

The FFAU represents the latest development in a series of resources the Agency is making available to help combat food fraud.