Tag Archives: New Zealand

Susanne Kuehne, Decernis
Food Fraud Quick Bites

Prosecution Puts an End to Cash Cow

By Susanne Kuehne
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Susanne Kuehne, Decernis
Sulfites, food fraud
Find records of fraud such as those discussed in this column and more in the Food Fraud Database.
Image credit: Susanne Kuehne

Sulfites and sulfur dioxide can make meats look fresher than they truly are, and therefore are banned by the FDA The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code also prohibits the addition of sulfites to raw meat. Not only is there a risk of meat past its prime getting into the food supply, sulfites may also pose a danger to allergy and asthma sufferers. More than 23 tons of ground beef were freshened up illegally with sulfites and sold in New Zealand to consumers. The manufacturer was recently sentenced to a fine in this two-year old case.

Resource

  1. News Desk. (July 27, 2020). “NZ company fined for adding sulfites to ground beef”. Food Safety News.

The 2020 Food Safety Consortium Virtual Series features an episode on Food Integrity & Food Fraud. The episode takes place on Thursday, October 22. Learn more about 2020 FSC now!

Susanne Kuehne, Decernis
Food Fraud Quick Bites

Botanicals Yes, Glycerol No

By Susanne Kuehne
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Susanne Kuehne, Decernis
Food fraud, gin, ingredients, botanicals
Find records of fraud such as those discussed in this column and more in the Food Fraud Database. Image credit: Susanne Kuehne.

Gin usually consists of re-distillation or addition of a myriad of botanical ingredients to alcohol, but should certainly not contain glycerol and hydrogen peroxide like in this mislabeling case in Australia. This product poses a health risk for consumers, and is under recall for a full refund.

Resource

  1. Apollo Bay Distillery P/L recall (June 8, 2020) “Apollo Bay Distillery SS Casino Dry Gin”. Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
Susanne Kuehne, Decernis
Food Fraud Quick Bites

A Little Kiwi Birdie Told Me

By Susanne Kuehne
1 Comment
Susanne Kuehne, Decernis
Food fraud, New Zealand wine
Find records of fraud such as those discussed in this column and more in the Food Fraud Database.
Image credit: Susanne Kuehne

New Zealand is known for its premier, high quality wine industry, enjoying a steady growth for the past several years. Even just one isolated case like the one reported here can hurt the reputation of an entire country’s wine industry. The Ministry of Primary Industries in New Zealand found that a large wine producer in New Zealand is responsible for falsely blending wines, as well as mislabeling the vintage and origin of the wines. The wines do not pose any health risks but due to the damaging nature to the New Zealand wine industry, this fraud is being punished by a hefty fine and other sentences.

Resources

  1. Radio New Zealand (March 13, 2020). “Wine fraud: Southern Boundary Wines fined $1.7m”.
  2. Shermand, E. (August 4, 2017). “New Zealand Winery Accused of Wine Fraud in Landmark Case“. Food & Wine.