Latest news, information and statistics about counterfeit foods. Data collected from police arrest reports, food industry lawyers, health officials and media reports.
A study by Oceana sampled over 1,200 various types of fish samples in nearly 700 retail outlets in the United States.
The study found that one-third of the fish samples were mislabeled.
Source: Reuters, “Interpol targets illegal fishing, seafood fraud,” swissinfo, February 26, 2013.
In 2010, up to $1.4 Billion (1.1 Billion Euros) worth of counterfeit foods were sold in Italy, according to a think-tank based in the country. Counterfeited items included fake Parmesan cheese and spaghetti.
The total counterfeit goods market in Italy was worth $9 Billion in 2010, causing a loss of $2.2 Billion (1.7 Billion Euros) in tax revenue.
Source: Antonella Ciancio, “”Fake in Italy” branches out into toothpaste, soaps-reports,” Reuters, October 22, 2012.
According to a study by the Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection Program at Michigan State University, the following food items were found to have been counterfeited.
The study analyzed its product database of counterfeit items, and found that 16 percent of counterfeit foods involved olive oil, 14 percent involved watered down milk, 7 percent was counterfeit honey, and 2 to 4 percent of the counterfeit items were fruit juices.
Worldwide, counterfeit foods create a $49 Billion market.
Source: “Fake Food Trying To Make Its Way Into The U.S.,” CBS Miami, June 18, 2012.
Due to the role of organized crime in food production in Italy, a report has found that 80 percent of the olive oil produced in Italy and stamped with a “Made in Italy” logo was made with cheaper, lower quality oils from other countries.
Source: Leslie Clarula Taylor, “Italian olive oil part of organized crime probe,” The Star, January 27, 2012.
Over the course of a one week joint operation conducted by Interpol-Europol, authorities seized the following substandard and counterfeit food items:
The ten countries that participated in the counterfeit food operation and where the seizures took place were Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Source: “Tonnes of Illicit Foods Seized across Europe, Bulgaria Too,” Sofia News Agency, December 7, 2011.
According to research conducted by Food Safety News, up to 75 percent of honey sold in stores are not really honey. The counterfeit bottles are sold without pollen.
Source: Kelli B. Grant, “Cheap Fakes: 10 Ordinary Items Now Counterfeited ,” Smart Money, November 30, 2011.
Roughly 3,000 tons of counterfeit Emmentaler cheese is produced each year that is not made in Switzerland. The counterfeit trade in the cheese makes up to 10 percent of the legitimate market.
Most of the counterfeit cheese is found in Italy, according to the organization Emmentaler Switzerland.
Emmental cheese is also commonly known as Swiss Cheese.
Source: Catherine McLean Winterthur, “Love your Swiss cheese? Careful, it could be a knock-off,” Globe and Mail, May 3, 2011.
30 percent of the estimated 8,700 seed companies operating in China, or 2,610 companies, are believed to be invovled in producing and selling counterfeit seeds to farmers.
Source: Zhou Siyu, “Sowing the seeds of doubt,” China Daily, August 3, 2011.
75 percent of all mineral water sold in Russia had fake labels on the bottles in 2004.
Source: Pira Internatioanl, “Fraudulent Food,” Hosted by International Chamber of Commerce, August 24, 2009.
Counterfeit foods around the world creates a $49 Billion a year industry, according to the World Customs Institute.
Source: Jeneen Interland, “The Fake-Food Detectives,” Newsweek, February 7, 2010.
