The Index—published quarterly—tracks verified food fraud cases reported by global food safety authorities. Findings from the first quarter of 2025 reveal volatile patterns in vulnerable commodities, impacting procurement, quality assurance, and supply chain integrity.
Key Q1 2025 Highlights:
- Nuts, Seeds & Nut-Based Products: +358% rise in incidents, mostly due to species substitution, allergen risks, and origin fraud.
- Dairy Products: Though incident numbers remain low, cases involving counterfeit butter and milk adulteration are rising, indicating early escalation.
- Cereals & Bakery Products: 23% increase, driven by mislabeling, illegal additives, and pesticide-related compliance failures.
- New Risks: Garlic and non-alcoholic beverages appeared as emerging fraud targets for the first time in the Index.
“It is extremely important for the food industry to identify the commodities most at risk from food fraud globally,” says Professor Chris Elliott, Founder of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast. “FOODAKAI’s Global Food Fraud Index has identified some new threats I was unaware of, while others were high on my radar.”
The report also confirms persistent threats in seafood, with a 74% year-on-year increase due to species substitution and antibiotic misuse in aquaculture.
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