Horse meat scandal – A wake-up call for regulatory authorities

doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.05.033

Food Control

Volume 34, Issue 2, December 2013, Pages 568-569

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.05.033 Get rights and content

Abstract

Global incidences of food mis-description and adulteration are increasing and international food trade is disrupted by frequent disputes over food safety and quality requirements. This report attempts to present authenticity concerns and discusses the role of regulatory authorities to circumvent the issues relating to meat authenticity. Science based technological solutions to combat fraud or accidental mislabeling are discussed. Allowances for adventitious presence and religious concerns are addressed. In conclusion collective action by continuous monitoring scheme along with improved detection methodologies and stringent regulation on defaulters will certainly minimize or even eliminate authentication problems in future.

Section snippets

Background

Global incidences of food mis-description and adulteration are increasing and international food trade is disrupted by frequent disputes over food safety and quality requirements. The recent controversies surrounding horse meat scandal forces authorities to enforce stringent regulations on food adulterations.

The term adulteration refers “to make impure by adding extraneous, improper, or inferior ingredients”. In the case of meat, it is considered as economic adulteration in which partial or

Regulatory authorities and analytical capabilities

Food control authorities are constantly upgrading their systems to identify food source and monitor the quality to ensure that proper processing has taken place and labeling information reflects the actual contents. Regular monitoring to counteract fraud has become inevitable for the authorities to assure safe, unadulterated and quality food. Labeling is the primary means of communication between producers and consumers. Although labeling policies differ widely in nature, material facts and

Perspectives

Accidental mislabeling or fraudulent practices need to be controlled by legal authorities by frequent monitoring procedures at all levels starting from slaughterhouses, processors up to the ends of supply chain. Science based technological advancements in detection methods to combat fraud or accidental mislabeling need to be considered and adapted by authorities. For instance, recent advances in ‘omic’ technologies such as identification of peptide biomarkers specific to a particular meat

Concluding remarks

It is widely accepted that consumers have the right to know and choose what they want to eat. In addition to material facts and other useful safety information, description on authenticity related issues would certainly boost consumer confidence on the products. Legitimate allowances for low level presence along with warning on other meat traces may help to alleviate problems associated with meat authenticity. A collective action by continuous monitoring scheme along with improved detection

Acknowledgment

The author gratefully acknowledges the support and encouragement of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA).

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Horse meat scandal – A wake-up call for regulatory authorities

Abstract

Section snippets

Background

Regulatory authorities and analytical capabilities

Perspectives

Concluding remarks

Acknowledgment

Trends in Food Science & Technology

Meat Science

Religious values informing halal meat production and the control and delivery of halal credence quality

Agriculture and Human Values