Detecting meat fraud in food supply chain

• Published in: Western Balkan Journal of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development Vol. 1; no. 2; pp. 125 - 133
• Main Authors: Crceva-Nikolovska, Radmila, Angeleska, Aleksandra, Nikolovski, Aleksandar, Stojković-Dimitrievska, Elizabeta, Poposka-Treneska, Vasilka, Sekovska, Blagica
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Agricultural Economics, Belgrade 2019
• Subjects: elisa test; fraud; meat; meat products
• ISSN: 2683-4693; 2683-572X
• DOI: 10.5937/WBJAE1902125C

In recent years, numerous reports have repeatedly highlighted a series of food safety scandals involving contaminated and forged meat and fish products, grains and fruit products, juices, cooking oils, and spices and herbs, distilled beverages and pet treats. Foods that have been found to be stained with chemicals, illicit drug residues, additives and dyes, pathogenic microorganisms and other pests. Some foods enter the market have expired well or are unhygienic. Economic gain is the goal of food fraud. Food fraud and the prevention of such fraud are very important processes in the food industry. Such frauds are economically motivated, rated as criminal behaviour, and the moment we understand criminal behaviour and decision making we will be able to calculate and exclude the risk of food fraud. By analysing financially motivated fraud that combine opportunities, motivations, and inadequate control measures, we can assess the likelihood of fraud in any food product or component. The modified ingredients are specially designed to avoid quality assurance and quality control systems for customers. Only people who manipulate the ingredients know what substances and how to manipulate them. In addition, fraudulent ingredients are often unconventional substances that do not meet the requirements of food safety management systems, and become known only after they are incorporated into the supply chain. International standards for food and regulations address the risk of fraud food adulteration. European Union (EU) Directives, Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Codex Alimentarius has continued work on a food fraud, or how, food fraud fits into their benchmarking. The problem of detection and typing of meat in meat products in the world and lack of research on them in the Republic of North Macedonia was the main goal for this paper. Our task was identification of meat type by ELISA method and proof of counterfeiting of meat products. Analyses are made in the laboratories of the Institute of Food at the Faculty of veterinary medicine in Skopje A total of 350 samples of various heat-treated meat products subgroups of meat sausages in pieces were examined for detection, typifying and quantifying the type of meat used for production.