Even the food service industry is not exempt from its share of cheats and criminals. While this blog consistently emphasizes the importance of food safety laws, this posting discusses another type of violation: misbranding and misrepresenting food products. Part One talks generally about food fraud, giving examples of it. Part Two discusses the legal requirements. (I read up a bit about halal and included a good reference at the end).
This type of violation can either be economic or public health related. Food can be adulterated by adding or substituting inferior or contaminated ingredients. This is a serious worldwide concern affecting nearly 50% of foods consumed each day (1). Outdated foods of all kinds might be treated with chemicals (antioxidants, food extenders), inferior or excessive ingredients, or falsely presented to make them appear fresh. Less expensive or contaminated ingredients (melamine, chalk powder, synthetic colors, starch, water) might be used in production to save money or falsely present the product (olive oil, honey, coffee, and wheat are all examples). The food might contain cheaper, tainted ingredients such as lead-adulterated spices or industrial dyes, which make the product appear fresh (cinnamon, chili powder, turmeric, cumin). In 2008, a Chinese manufacturer added melamine to falsely increase protein content in infant formula. The result was kidney failure in babies. This resulted in the illness of 294,000 children, 50,000 hospitalizations, and 6 deaths (1).
Due to the significant price difference, some companies have diluted expensive extra-virgin olive oil with vegetable oil (canola, rapeseed, and mustard) to obtain additional profits.
Chemicals are added to meats to extend freshness and maintain food safety. Salt, vinegar, sugar, spices, ascorbic acid, sorbates, BHA/BHT are all added to preserve freshness.
A juice label states ‘100% juice’, but the producer adds citric acid, sweetener, water, or grape juice. A seafood seller adds ice to frozen seafood to make it weigh more, or the restaurant substitutes snapper or rockfish for red snapper.
Honey or maple syrup is mixed with sweeteners (corn-, rice-, sugar beet- syrups, or cane sugar).
A spice such as saffron is bulked up with non-spice plant material, such as plant stems.
Food processors and manufacturers must have clear, comprehensive labels. As a consumer, read product labels carefully to be aware of additive ingredients.
Finally, in an example of both economic and cultural fraud, a case just reported by Food Safety News (7/29/2025), two food wholesalers in Wales, United Kingdom, were sentenced for misrepresenting chicken as halal (3). The food was sold at Indian restaurants in Wales. In addition to misrepresenting the chicken product, the facility was indicted for serious food safety issues such as mislabeled expiration dates, hygiene violations, and failure to track food origins.
The operator’s excuses? They were not involved in daily operations, and the chicken was processed by another company as halal. The court stated they are still legally responsible for their facility and the condition of incoming shipments.
Take Aways? Be sure food labels are complete and comprehensive. Read the labels carefully to be aware of all ingredients. Be aware of food deliveries and suppliers
There are many legal sections about misbranding and misrepresenting foods; these get quite lengthy and are difficult to describe in one article. The main points are to be honest and complete in representing the food to the seller, in person and on labels. One interesting legal standard, however, is worth repeating. The old joke ‘if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck’ will apply here. The legal foundation for every sale or contract is called ‘implied warranty’. The legal citation reads as follows:
Where the seller at the time of contracting has reason to know any particular purpose for which the goods are required and that the buyer is relying on the the seller’s skill or judgment to select or furnish suitable goods, there is unless excluded or modified under the next section an implied warranty that the goods shall be fit for such purpose.
Meat, poultry, pork or dairy should be recognizable, safe and fit for consumption. The buyer relies on the seller’s skill in selecting and presenting the foods for sale; there is an implied warranty the foods are fit for consumption, a legally binding warranty,
(1) ‘Selected food items adulteration, their impacts on public health, and detection methods; A review’ Abdulmajid Haji, Kasahun Desalegn, Hayat Hassen, Food Science Nutrition 10/5/2023 (12) 7534,7545 published in PubMed Central National Library of Medicine
(2) ‘Economically Motivated Adulteration (Food Fraud)’, US Food and Drug Administration
https://www.fda.gov/food/compliance-enforcement-food/economically-motivated-adulteration-food-fraud
(3) For those of us who don’t know, ‘halal’ means ‘lawful or permitted’’ and involves all products and life choices not just food and drink. It is inspired by Qur’an and the core guiding principle behind it is that Muslims should only consume food that is good for them and avoid those that are unhealthy/impure. (The preferred term is Qur’an not Koran).
A proper definition and discussion requires more space so please see this reference from the American Halal Foundation