News
28.09.2017 - Foods
FoodFraudinEdibleOils?
Overall, the contamination with health-unfavorable substances or microorganisms in widely used oil types such as rapeseed, sunflower, and olive oil in Germany is considered low. However, regarding food fraud, cooking oils, such as olive oil, are a rewarding product. According to a report by the European Parliament from 2013, olive oil is among the foods frequently subject to fraudulent activities. These include aspects such as:
- false origin labeling
- false classification as "virgin" and "extra virgin"
- adulteration with other oil types
To better combat food fraud in general, more inspections in this area will be conducted in future food monitoring. Therefore, this aspect is also firmly anchored in the new EU Regulation 2017/625. Naturally, the entire food industry must address these developments. Therefore, the BAV Institute, together with the Tentamus laboratories, already offers a comprehensive range of analyses to detect food adulterations.
Examples include:
- Olive oil: adulteration with non-cold-pressed oils or the addition of cheap non-olive oils
- Fish: e.g., presence of bonito in tuna (Thunnus spec.)
- Meat and sausages: addition of other animal species than declared
- Dairy products: source (cow, goat, sheep)
As these topics will take on greater significance in quality control, a dedicated "Global Center of Excellence for Food Fraud" has been established within the Tentamus laboratory group. Our food fraud specialist Dirk Lorenz is happy to answer your questions.
Dirk Lorenz
Certified Food Chemist
Head of Food Customer Service
Email: dirk.lorenz@bav-institut.de
Phone: 0781/96947-23
Source: Press and background information "Food in Focus: Common Cooking Oils are Rarely Contaminated" from 11.09.2017: www.bvl.bund.de