As consumers prepare for the holiday season, they may be surprised to learn that the prawns labeled as 100 percent Australian in supermarkets may not be what they seem. Food fraud, which involves the deliberate misrepresentation of food products for economic gain, is a significant issue affecting consumers worldwide. This problem has persisted throughout history, from ancient Rome to modern times, as laws have attempted to regulate food authenticity.

Associate Professor Senaka Ranadheera from the University of Melbourne identifies seven types of food fraud: adulteration, mislabeling, counterfeiting, unapproved enhancement, theft, diversion, and document forgery. "Usually, high-value food and beverages are more vulnerable because they can make more profit," Dr. Ranadheera explained. He cited the example of French black truffles, which can be substituted with cheaper varieties from China.

Food fraud is not limited to premium products. A notable incident occurred in 2013 when DNA testing revealed horse meat in beef lasagnas in the United Kingdom, leading to an investigation linked to organized crime. In Australia, a 2016 study by consumer advocacy group Choice found that seven out of twelve oregano products contained non-herb ingredients, such as olive leaves. Additionally, a 2018 study from Macquarie University revealed that one in five samples of Australian honey were adulterated, making honey the third-most adulterated food source globally, following milk and olive oil.

A 2023 study commissioned by the Minderoo Foundation found that nearly 12 percent of seafood items in Australia are mislabelled. In the same year, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) fined Costco $33,000 for mislabeling Canadian lobster as Australian. The global cost of food fraud is estimated at $50 billion, with Australia accounting for $2-3 billion of that total, according to a 2021 report by AgriFutures Australia.

Dr. Michael Smith, a researcher at Deakin University and co-author of the report, noted that food fraud is pervasive throughout supply chains. "The consumer has to just believe what's on the shelf and what is presented is right, but fraudulent activity occurs," he said. "At any point in the supply chain, somebody can interfere with the food product."

In response to this growing issue, a small team of scientists at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) is working to combat food fraud. Jason Bertoldi, a technical officer at ANSTO, is using a handheld X-ray fluorescent (XRF) scanner to analyze the elemental composition of prawns. This technology, typically used in mining and jewelry, has been adapted to create a unique "fingerprint" for food based on its elemental makeup.

"What they're eating is different depending on where they are in the world. And so that accumulates in their bodies and then shows up variances that our mathematical model is able to pick up," Bertoldi explained. The scans are cross-referenced with a growing database of authentic samples, which is essential for verifying the origin of food products.

Dr. Debashish Mazumder, who leads the food provenance research at ANSTO, emphasized the importance of building this database. "We need authentic samples first to build the environmental fingerprint data library or database," he said. The team has received support from the Sydney Fish Markets, which has provided thousands of genuine samples.

While most of their work has focused on seafood, the team is expanding its efforts to include other products, such as rice, mangoes, and turmeric. They aim to develop technology that allows producers, distributors, and consumers to verify the geographic origin of their food using handheld devices.

Dr. Smith highlighted the need for sector-wide investment in developing technologies like ANSTO's food provenance project. He noted that independent universities have been leading research in food traceability. However, he expressed optimism about recent progress in addressing food fraud. "When I first did the report, everyone was in denial. But at least now there is movement towards trying to do the traceability and the provenance on products."