Bridging the Gaps in Food Fraud Testing

No single method, however powerful, can provide a complete picture of a food sample's authenticity, and relying too heavily on one approach can leave blind spots that sophisticated fraudsters are able to exploit. The panel examine where the most significant gaps lie in the current analytical toolkit—whether in terms of sensitivity, specificity, throughput, or the ability to detect novel adulterants that were not anticipated when a method was first developed. Crucially, they discuss how combining orthogonal techniques, where different methods interrogate a sample from fundamentally different analytical angles, can significantly strengthen the overall evidential picture. From pairing chromatographic separation with isotope ratio analysis to integrating spectroscopic screening with targeted mass spectrometry confirmation, the conversation highlights how a multi-technique strategy is increasingly regarded as best practice for robust food fraud detection.

Deborah McKenzie, Deputy Assistant Executive Director and Chief Standards Officer at AOAC INTERNATIONAL, USA, moderates this illuminating discussion with leading experts adept at using separation science in food authenticity and food fraud applications; Chris Elliott, Founder of the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK, and Professor of Food Security at Thammasat University, Thailand; Michele Suman, Food Safety & Authenticity Research Manager, Barilla Analytical Food Science, Italy, and Adjunct Professor of AgriFood Authenticity, Catholic University Sacred Heart; and Nicholas Birse, Lecturer in Mass Spectrometry, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK and a Researcher at the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS), Northern Ireland, UK.