Sorting the Beef from the Bull: The Science of Food Fraud Forensics

by Richard Evershed, Nicola Temple

Overview

Horsemeat in burgers was hard to swallow, but there are far more sinister culinary crimes afoot...

Chicken eggs that haven't come from chickens, melamine in infants' milk in China, nut shells in spices – these are just some examples of the food fraud that has occurred in recent years. As our urban lifestyle takes us further and further away from our food sources, there are increasing opportunities for dishonesty, duplicity and profit-making short-cuts.

Food adulteration, motivated by money, is an issue that has spanned the globe throughout human history. Whether it's a matter of making a good quality oil stretch a bit further by adding a little extra 'something' or labelling a food falsely to appeal to current consumer trends – it's all food fraud, and it costs the food industry billions of dollars each year. The price to consumers may be even higher, with some paying for these crimes with their health and, in some cases, their lives.

Sorting the Beef from the Bull is a collection of food fraud tales from around the world. It explains the role of science in uncovering some of the century's biggest food scams, and explores the arms race between food forensics and fraudsters as new methods of detection spur more creative and sophisticated means of committing the crimes. This book equips us with the knowledge of what is possible in the world of food fraud and shines a light on the shady areas of our food supply system where these criminals lurk.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472911346
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	02/25/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Richard Evershed FRS is Professor of Biogeochemistry at the University of Bristol. He researches the diets and agriculture of our ancestors and the environmental impacts of modern farming systems. The analytical chemical methodologies he has pioneered are used widely. In the area of food fraud his team developed a method for detecting the highly lucrative but illegal adulteration of vegetable oil. Richard believes deeply in wholesome food and the responsibility of suppliers to ensure its quality and authenticity, especially given 'we are are what we hope we're eating!'

Nicola Temple is a biologist, conservationist and science writer. Her writing has taken her from the precipices of volcanoes in Ethiopia to the banks of salmon streams in Canada's temperate rainforest. Based in Bristol, Nicola works with universities, research councils and individuals to develop engaging science stories on how research has an impact beyond the closeted world of academia. It was while investigating the impact of Richard's work that Nicola was first introduced to the world of food fraud.

nicolatemple.com / @nicolatemple
Nicola Temple is a biologist, conservationist and science writer. She was raised on a smallholding in rural Ontario, Canada, where she spent her days catching terrapins and fireflies. After spending 10 years as a conservation biologist, Nicola became a full-time writer, and is now based in Bristol. Her writing has taken her from the precipices of volcanoes in Ethiopia to the banks of salmon streams in Canada's temperate rainforest.

nicolatemple.com / @nicolatemple

Table of Contents

Foreword by Chris Elliot
Introduction: Not Eggsactly What You Thought
1: Food Fraud 101
2: Busting the Food Cheats
3: A Slippery Deal
4: Hake Today, Cod Tomorrow
5: What's Your Beef?
6: Milking It
7: Seasoned Criminals
8: Bogus Beverages
9: White Collard Crimes
10: Thoughts for Digestion
Appendix
Notes
Acknowledgements
Index

Editorial Reviews

"At $2,000 per unit, Grouper Check and devices like it are not likely to become everyday kitchen utensils, but in the hands of vigilant government and private watchdogs using similar methods, and a public informed by books like [SORTING THE BEEF FROM THE BULL], we may be more able to trust that we really ate what we thought we ate for dinner." - Natural History Magazine

"According to Evershed (Biogeochemistry/Univ. of Bristol) and conservationist and science writer Temple, the modern food processing system, with its complex food-supply chain and the ever present consumer demand for the lowest possible price, provides countless opportunities for malfeasance . . . Not pleasant reading for the faint of stomach, but a valuable guide for serious, conscientious shoppers." - Kirkus Reviews

"Evershed and Temple reveal the many ways food fraud occurs: sometimes from innocent motives, like repurposing old food to avoid waste; sometimes from more sinister objectives, like deliberately creating a synthetic product . . . Research is nicely contextualized with historical instances of fraud, as Evershed and Temple evaluate how government and nonprofit organizations are working to detect the problem and deter it." - Booklist

"Engagingly written, SORTING THE BEEF FROM THE BULL lifts the lid on the forensics of food fraud and brings to light the full story of a vitally important and underreported issue." - Examiner.com

"Fascinating and eye-opening, Sorting the Beef from the Bull is full of examples of how unsuspecting consumers around the world are being fooled by fraudsters. Everyone who cares about the quality of food should read this informative, enthralling book." - Guy Crosby, science editor for America's Test Kitchen

" . . . Sorting the Beef from the Bull should be a must-read . . ." - David Firn, Financial Times

"This is a thoroughly practical book. It's not all about science and global supply chains, it's also engagingly down to earth." - Country Life

"The truth, as this eye-opening book shows, is that food crime is a global problem." - Daily Mail

"Nicola and Richard have opened up the complex world of food fraud into a comprehensive and well-researched journey through the food groups, alerting us to the scurrilous scams of pirates and profiteers. The technical complexity in identifying tricks of the trade are tantalisingly described within the context of stories, which bring fascination and relevance to the most ignored and pervasive mysteries of our daily lives." - Diana Spellman, Managing Director of Partners in Purchasing

"Evershed and Temple assemble a detailed compendium of the myriad devious recipes employed by the schemers within the food industry." - CHOICE magazine

"Not only will this gripping and fast-paced book scare the hell out of you, but it will open your eyes and make you a more discerning consumer—and it may make you into a devoted locavore." - Forbes, "The 10 Best Popular Science Books of 2016: Maths, Physics, Chemistry"

From the Publisher

2016-01-10
A disturbing look at how unscrupulous entrepreneurs can tamper with our food supply. According to Evershed (Biogeochemistry/Univ. of Bristol) and conservationist and science writer Temple, the modern food processing system, with its complex food-supply chain and the ever present consumer demand for the lowest possible price, provides countless opportunities for malfeasance. While the adulteration of honey with corn is a relatively benign example, the undisclosed addition of ground nuts to cumin and other spices can prove fatal for allergy sufferers. The authors state that their purpose in writing this book is twofold. They want to alert consumers to the need for vigilance when shopping for food—even at their favorite supermarket—and inform them about how forensic analysis by food inspectors helps protect them. As consumers become more aware of the issue of authenticity in the food they eat, hopefully they will be able to make better choices. Evershed and Temple believe this to be especially important now, at a time when climate change and increased consumer demand in countries such as China create supply problems that enhance the opportunity for charging higher prices. The authors report cases in India of diluting milk and the well-publicized scandal of counterfeit baby formula in China. Pumping scallops with water to increase their weight is another example of tampering. The authors' recommendations include purchasing whole, locally grown food from local markets where its provenance is known. They relate how, in 2010, when the olive crop was sparse, California tested imports of oil purported to be Spanish virgin olive oil and found it to be adulterated. The scarcity of overfished species has also created opportunities for fraud, as unscrupulous distributors mislabel fish to disguise their points of origin. Private laboratories now offer DNA testing to wholesale importers and large-scale retailers to authenticate the provenance of the fish they sell. Not pleasant reading for the faint of stomach, but a valuable guide for serious, conscientious shoppers.

Kirkus Reviews