April 20, 2009
UK launches advisory unit to tackle food and feed fraud
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced the launch of a new advisory resource to support local authorities in their work to tackle food and feed fraud.
The Food Fraud Advisory Unit (FFAU) is a group of 16 officials with skills and experience in carrying out food fraud investigations. Most of the officials are practicing local authority enforcement officers.
The unit will provide advice, on request, to any local UK authority involved in investigating food fraud and any illegal activity relating to food or feed.
Food fraud includes the sales of food that is unfit and potentially harmful, such as recycling animal byproducts back into the food chain, or packing and selling of beef and poultry meat of unknown origin. It also includes making false statements about the origins of food ingredients and animals.