Portable Food Safety & Food Fraud Testing Devices- Fake Science or a Real Solution?

Globalization of the food chain has positively impacted the socioeconomic status of millions of people across dozens of economies. Exotic fruits and specialty foods which were once considered as luxury foods are now readily available in many countries. However, our food chain globalization has a downside because food travels greater distances and passes through many hands. Greater distances increase supply chain opacity and creates an opportunity for unscrupulous actors to cheat and game the system. A key question is whether IoT-enabled, portable devices can help to detect food fraud and food safety issues quickly and cheaply, augmenting formal analytical laboratory services?. 

The recurring nature of food safety alerts, food fraud scandals and ethical lapses in global food supply chains is amplified in social media and concerning. Adding to our concerns is a recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO). Their comprehensive analysis of global health records for 2010, highlighted that food-borne diseases are responsible for 600 million illnesses and 420,000 deaths annually. These numbers are likely conservative because many experts believe that food-borne diseases are often unreported or underreported, and food fraud incidents often go undetected.

In a 2018 research report on global fish fraud, sponsored by the UNFAO, it was highlighted that 20% of all fish in retail and foodservice globally is intentionally mislabeled or involves species substitution, posing a severe risk to consumer health and safety. The report author, Professor Alan Reilly knows a thing or two about food fraud. He is the former CEO of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland; whose team uncovered the horsemeat scandal. Prof. Reilly notes; "Following on from the 2013 horsemeat scandal in the European Union, which exposed the vulnerability of international food chains to fraud and organized crime, major initiatives are underway by many governments and within the industry to combat food fraud". 

Industry experts and scholars know that its impossible to estimate the economic impact of global food fraud. Scholars such as Professor Louise Manning estimated global food fraud at USD 10-15 billion, whereas industry experts estimate it could be as high as USD 49 billion. 

Food fraud is defined as a deception involving either dilution, ingredient or product substitution, concealment (such as low-quality ingredients or undeclared allergens), mislabelling, unapproved enhancements, counterfeiting and a combination of the grey market, theft, and diversion. The latter can include recalled foods, tainted, mouldy or expired foods recirculated back into the legitimate food chain and sold to unsuspecting businesses and innocent consumers. The big concern is how to rapidly detect incidents of unsafe and adulterated foods before they reach consumers. 

One initiative started by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2017 acknowledged the importance of portable devices with rapid detection methods. As part of their effort, scientists from 13 countries set out to explore tools and techniques that could be used in non-laboratory settings to perform point-of-use screening for contaminants, adulterants, or mould spores in food. Jose Almirall, Director of the International Forensic Research Institute at Florida International University noted in the IAEA press release "Labels and paperwork are what countries often depend on, and these can be forged" and "We need to rely on science to provide assurances". 

Do we need analytical laboratories?

Of course, analytical laboratories with specialized equipment and competent staff can detect many types of recurring food frauds and contamination rapidly. However, laboratories are not available in many countries and regions where we source food and ingredients. When labs are present, the time-lag from sample submission to results ranges from hours to days or more than a week, and results of the same sample may vary between labs. The cost of sample transportation and testing may be prohibitive for small-holders. And, transportation and unsafe handling or conditions during transit may increase the risk of sample contamination.

On the darker side, it is known that unscrupulous individuals in public and private labs may issue fake certificates without any testing. The critical question is, how can we augment laboratory testing services with mobile testing devices to enhance overall food chain integrity?

SwissDeCode breaks onto the scene with a solution

This innovative Swiss-based company has taken the mobile food testing challenge seriously and is blazing a trail of success and awards. Founded at the University of Geneva in 2016, SwissDeCode is making significant inroads and innovating at an amazingly fast pace. The company has developed a rapid and portable DNA detection solution for the food industry, which has proven to be as sensitive as methods performed in labs. The company enables food supply chain stakeholders to augment their laboratory services and provide rapid, in-field testing at critical stages along the supply chain. Mobile product testing acts as the first line of defence and validates the quality and safety of products on a production line, in finished goods or in-transit. Interestingly, a non-scientist can carry out the test with minimum training.

I spoke with the CEO Brij Sahi recently and learned that after launching the first solution to detect adulteration of halal products with pork, SwissDeCode had adapted its patented technology to detect traces of vegetal adulterants and allergens (e.g. soy and flour fillers) in cow milk or hamburgers, as well as a very smart method to detect cheese products with a fraudulent origin / provenance. Due to the versatility of their technology, the range of test methods is continually being extended.

In line with current technological developments and the growing industry needs for enhanced transparency and increased trust, SwissDeCode is now exploring the possibility to provide digital certificates with the test results performed using its mobile analytical testing tools. This is interesting because it can offer an IoT-enabled, third-party verification which is auditable, and ‘digitally twins' with the batch or lot being tested.

There are some very bright minds at work at SwissDeCode. Watch this space.