Photo by Jakub Kapusnak ()
Emily Chow is anIPilogueWriter and a 1L JD Candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School.
Over the past decade, the media has published several scandals about the quality and safety of the food we eat – from to . It is estimated that the counterfeit food industry
Beyond , fraudulent foodstuffs exacerbate the risks facing endangered species. Researchers found that an estimated were substituted with . Inaccurate labelling makes it difficult to track and identify what animals are at risk due to human activity; this is especially concerning given that . There are of other examples of highly substituted foods. found king scallops sold in Germany were replaced with the less valued Japanese species in 48% of samples. Another found prawn balls on sale in Singapore .
Difficult conservation policy decisions, already limited in funding, can be more effective when comprehensive data is available to inform such decisions. Oceana, whose mandate is to protect Earth’s oceans, by increasing the profitability of destructive fishing practices, undermining consumer-driven conservation efforts, and harming large-scale conservation initiatives such as quotas and restrictions.
Interestingly, food products are not the only counterfeit organic item on the market.
In 2016, An internal investigation revealed that approximately , a direct contradiction of Welspun’s appeal and promises of quality. Welspun’s intricate network of cotton suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers made sourcing the error difficult. Whether it was a mistake in labelling or a deliberate act of fraud, makes it difficult for consumers and producers alike to confirm the authenticity of an item. Luckily for Welspun, a was up to the task. In 2017, they that would allow Oritain to validate Welspun’s supply chain of home textile products.
In Oritain’s co-founder Russel Frew discussed his past life as a researcher at the University of Otago. A geochemist, Frew utilized a mass spectrometer often, which allowed him to determine the precise atomic makeup of water and soil samples gathered from across the world: a unique elemental signature for a given area. Applied to products, Oritain describes its method as
Atoms of a particular element can have different amounts of neutrons—neutral particles that do not contain an electric charge—residing within each atom’s nucleus, resulting in various isotopes. Oritain determines the relative ratios of isotopes within a sample to ascertain its origin. For instance, a sample’s . Oritain also analyzes trace elements in These can include sodium and iron derived from the composition of soils, water, and feeds. In addition to sourcing the origins of fabrics and textiles, Oritain has to combat food fraud.
The expansion of verification and traceability programs may lead to the and supply chains around the globe.
Further Reading:
Oritain Certification:
Oceana:
“What is Mass Spectrometry?” by the Broad Institute: .
Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s survey to verify the authenticity of honey samples:
“Food Fraud in Canada” published by the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph: