Introducing the Food Fraud Initial Screening model (FFIS)

• Published in: Food control 2016-11, Vol.69, p.306-314
• Main Authors: Spink, John, Moyer, Douglas C., Speier-Pero, Cheri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adulteration; Crime; Economically Motivated Adulteration (EMA); Enterprise Risk Management (ERM); Food Fraud; Food safety
• ISSN: 0956-7135; 1873-7129
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2016.03.016

Food Fraud is illegal deception for economic gain using food. There are many types of fraud including adulterant-substances, tampering, theft, diversion and gray marketing, simulations, misbranded, and intellectual property rights product counterfeiting. The concept is beginning to be addressed by laws, regulations, standards, and certifications. Regardless of the presence of an actual health hazard, Food Fraud incidents can: negatively impact sales, brand equity, market capitalization; violate regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley; and even lead to the criminal prosecution of corporate leaders. Emerging regulations and industry standards are requiring risk and vulnerability assessments of Food Fraud as a prerequisite to countermeasures and decision-making systems. These assessments and risk management systems are not familiar food safety tools. It is effective and efficient to utilize an enterprise risk management (ERM) framework, such as developed by the Committee of the Sponsoring Companies of the Treadway Commission (COSO). ERM risk assessment occurs into two stages: (1) a qualitative initial screening followed by (2) a more detailed quantitative assessment. All types of Food Fraud can result in enterprise-wide risks so an enterprise risk management system must cover all types of vulnerabilities. The model developed in this paper addresses the unmet need of the first stage referred to here as the Food Fraud Initial Screening (FFIS). •Food Fraud is illegal deception for economic gain using food.•Food Fraud laws, regulations, standards and certifications are underdevelopment.•A novel Food Fraud risk assessment is proposed referred to as an initial screening.•The assessment is based on Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) principles.•This assessment correlates with other Food Fraud and Food Safety management systems.