According to the study from the United Kingdom, a third of respondents (72%) estimate that there is a problem with fraud in food products in Great Britain; around 27% said they have already been affected. However, the most frightening aspect seems to be that with 77% the overwhelming majority of consumers declared that they were unable to recognise counterfeit food. Therefore it is to be expected that far more customers have unknowingly bought counterfeit food and that the number of people actually affected is significantly higher than the reported 27%.
Andy Morling, head of the National Food Crime Unit, does not place blame on the consumers though, as he told World Trademark Review: “It is rare that one will be able to identify such products without conducting sophisticated scientific analysis. Realistically, there is little the consumers can reasonably do to protect themselves from purchasing such food and drinks.” The only way for customers to avoid counterfeits, so the expert’s opinion, is to stay away from unofficial sales channels and refrain from offers that are too good to be true.
In order to combat food fraud more effectively in the future, Morling expects companies along the food supply chain to take responsibility. “We need businesses to report earlier when they have concerns or evidence that things aren’t right. Increasing the exchange of information is vital to help us pursue and bring to justice fraudulent food related businesses and to build consumer confidence.”
This could make a significant difference for businesses in the food industry: 34% of the study participants declared that they would no longer buy from a brand they love, if it had – knowingly or unknowingly – distributed counterfeit products; half of the participants hold this view with brands that are new to them. Overall, around 32% said their confidence in the food and grocery retailers available to them had decreased significantly compared to five years ago.
For businesses, it is therefore important to take specific measures to strengthen the trust of customers and intercept counterfeit products before they enter the market. The study sees a comprehensive prevention strategy as one of the key measures for food sector businesses. This includes, for example, investigating potential weaknesses along their own supply chain, including, for example, national and international suppliers. In addition, measures need to be taken to raise the customers’ awareness on the subject of food fraud and to increase transparency in the labelling of products.
The current ‘Food Fraud Report‘ was compiled by experts from the insurance company NFU Mutual and a number of partner organisations, including the British Retail Consortium, the Food and Drink Federation, the British Hospitality Association and the National Farmers Retail & Markets Association.
