Food Fraud: An Organised Crime

Horse-meat labelled as beef. Honey diluted with cheap sugar syrups. Counterfeit extra-virgin olive oil. Food crime is a multi-billion dollar industry affecting everything from the cheapest to most expensive ingredient. 10% of what we eat is thought to be adulterated. “What we know for sure is that food fraud is growing exponentially and it’s more and more worrying,” states one consumer advocate.

Criminal syndicates are infiltrating the global food supply chain, undermining the ability of consumers to trust what is on the label and what ends up on their plate. In Italy, entire sectors of the food industry are controlled by the mafia. All over the world, well-organised criminal networks work together to penetrate complex supply chains. Scams range from the intentional mislabelling of inferior products in order to pass them off as premium items, to the substitution of one food stuff for something else entirely. The profits are enormous. But what are the risks to the consumer? How can we identify food fraud? And what can be done to stop it?

In this investigation, we follow the food fraud brigades and reveal how little we know about what we’re eating. From the olive groves of Italy to the fish markets of France and the abattoirs of Poland, this film takes you on a culinary journey of a very different kind. A global investigation into the counterfeit food industry.