Abstract
Food fraud, including the more defined subcategory ofeconomically motivated adulteration, is a food risk that is gaining recognition and concern. Regardless ofthe cause ofthe food risk, adulteration offood is both an industry and a government responsibility. Food safety, food fraud, and food defense incidents can create adulteration offood with public health threats. Food fraud is an intentional act for economic gain, whereas a food safety incident is an unintentional act with unintentional harm, and a food defense incident is an intentional act with intentional harm. Economically motivated adulteration may be just that---economically motivated---but the food-related public health risks are often more risky than traditional food safety threats because the contaminants are unconventional. Current intervention systems are not designed to look for a near infinite number ofpotential contaminants. The authors developed the core concepts reported here following comprehensive research ofarticles and reports, expert elicitation, and an extensive peer review. The intent of this research paper is to provide a base reference document for defining food fraud---it focuses specifically on the public health threat---and to facilitate a shift in focus from intervention to prevention. This will subsequently provide a framework for future quantitative or innovative research. The fraud opportunity is deconstructed using the criminology and behavioral science applications ofthe crime triangle and the chemistry ofthe crime. The research provides a food risk matrix and identifies food fraud incident types. This project provides a starting point for future food science, food safety, and food defense research.
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