John Points and Louise Manning, both members of the IFST’s COVID-19 Advisory Group, assess the evidence for an increase in food fraud as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residues of chlorate can originate from many points in the food supply chain. This paper explores some of the regulatory issues.

This White Paper, written for Dr Ehrenstorfer, uses the examples of BPA, mineral oils, and PFAS to show the merits of a holistic approach to risk assessing chemical hazards in food. http://bit.ly/2Zr13vD

Food manufacturers could spend a fortune, testing every ingredient for every chemical contaminant and authenticity claim. How do you prioritise?

There has been recent concern about cross-contamination of food with natural plant toxins such as atropine and scopolamine. Where do they come from, and what foods are at risk?

Mycotoxin risks are climate-dependent, but can be mitigated by good practice. Which countries’ products are at higher risk? The answer might be counter-intuitive.

Has the rise in popularity of “Free-From” products affected trends in recalls for undeclared allergens?

Food labelling regulations are harmonised across the European Union. But is the enforcement of these regulations? This analysis would suggest not.

All laboratories offer a multi-residue pesticide screen, but no two screens are the same. How do you challenge that the laboratory will detect the residue(s) of most interest in your own crop or product?

There is an echo-chamber effect with food fraud issues: a known issue will drive more testing, which drives more headlines, which drives more testing. Attempting to normalise for this effect can give a different picture of relative risks.

Adulteration of food with illegal or undeclared colours is on most risk registers. But, in terms of previous history, the risk is focussed on relatively few products from few countries.

There is increasing concern about the chronic effects of trace residues of pharmaceuticals in the ecosystem. This White Paper was written for LGC Standards. More LGC Standards White Papers can be found at https://www.lgcstandards.com/GB/en/Resources/Dr-Ehrenstorfer-whitepapers

This white paper, written for LGC Standards, describes the European Union system for controlling residues of veterinary medicines in food. More LGC Standards white papers available at https://www.lgcstandards.com/GB/en/Resources/Dr-Ehrenstorfer-whitepapers