Global food fraud surges in 2025

The food and beverage industry is fighting an uphill battle against food fraud, as cases rise globally.

“Cases of food fraud have risen tenfold in the past four years, indicating it to be a global concern across markets,” says a spokesperson for food safety software company Digicomply Insights. “That increase is not only threatening to consumer safety and trust but also exposing heavy financial risks to businesses involved with the production and distribution of food.”

What’s more, it’s estimated food fraud is costing the global economy around $40bn (€34bn) every year (Authenticate).

“Food fraudsters are taking advantage of increasingly complex supply chains and global events such as climate change, the pandemic and wars, which are driving up prices,” says Alex Walters, CEO of Authenticate.

And it’s not just that numbers are growing, the types of products impacted are also on the rise.

What is food fraud?Food fraud refers to deliberate and intentional acts by an individual or company to deceive customers. 

It encompasses a wide range of actions, including altering, mislabeling, or substituting an ingredient or ingredients.

Adulteration: Adding unauthorised substances to a food product or removing or replacing good quality substances with inferior ones. This can diminish nutritional value and potentially introduce harmful effects.

Mislabeling: Intentionally labelling a product in a way that does not accurately reflect its true origin, ingredients, or expiration dates. For example, claiming a product is organic or non-GMO to appeal to health-conscious consumers.

Substitution: Replacing a high-quality ingredient with a lower-quality or completely different one. A common example of this is the substitution of olive oil with a cheaper vegetable or seed oil.

Counterfeiting: Producing unauthorised replicas of popular or high-value food products, typically without meeting the stringent quality and safety standards expected from the genuine product.

Tampering: Involves altering the condition or packaging of a food product to, for example, extend the sell-by date.

Foods and beverages most at risk from fraudCurrently the foods and beverages proving most attractive to fraudsters are olive oil, honey, tea and coffee, and beer, wine and spirits. This is due to their high economic value and ease of adulteration.

Fish and seafood products, meat, spices and cocoa are also common targets.

However, as the financial gains of food fraud become more widely recognised, increasing numbers of criminal actors are entering this world and an increasing number of products are being targeted.

“Tracking incidents of food adulteration and fraud in high-risk commodities worldwide, reveals a complex picture emerging in the first quarter of 2025,” says Konstantinos Pehlivanis of FoodAkai. “While the overall volume of reported fraud incidents has not yet reached the levels seen across all of 2024, early signs point to concentrated surges in several important product categories – with implications for industry vigilance, sourcing strategy, and food integrity programmes.”

Also read → Countries most at risk from food fraudOlive oil is one of the products most at risk from food fraud. (Image: Getty/UfukSaracoglu)Foods and beverages increasingly at risk from fraudFoodAkai’s recently published Global Food Fraud Index shows total fraud activity is beginning to shift globally.

Nuts, nut products and seeds are expected to be worst hit in 2025, with FoodAkai predicting a 358% overall increase.

Eggs are another food experiencing a major spike in fraudulent activity, with a predicted 150% overall increase by the end of the year.

Dairy is also expected to prove particularly vulnerable, with a projected 80% increase in cases, while fish and seafood is projected to see a 74% rise.

Cocoa meanwhile, a commodity which has already proven an appealing prospect to fraudsters, is expected to see a further 66% rise.

Herbs and spices (25%), cereals and bakery products (+23%), fats and oils (20%), and non-alcoholic beverages (+16%) are also slated to see a rise in fraudulent activity.

“The rise in fraud across nuts, dairy, and cereals is especially important for procurement, quality assurance, and compliance teams,” says FoodAkai‘s Pehlivanis.

These products often involve long, fragmented supply chains and are vulnerable to economically motivated adulteration, substitution, and labeling fraud.

This category is expected to remain volatile, as demand, price pressure, and supply chain complexity continue to create ideal conditions for adulteration and mislabeling.

“Due to their high market value and broad sourcing geography, expect continued fraud risks – particularly around species substitution, origin mislabeling, and contamination with undeclared allergens. Authentication testing and supplier verification are critical,” says Pehlivanis.

Meanwhile, garlic and non-alcoholic beverages appeared as emerging fraud targets for the first time in the Index.

“Keep an eye on garlic, which appeared in fraud reports for the first time this quarter, and any unusual signals in smaller subcategories – they often precede broader issues,” says Pehlivanis.

However, there is some good news for the industry.

Nuts and seeds are increasingly at risk of food fraud. (Image: Getty/fcafotodigital)Categories seeing a fall in fraudCoffee is projected to see a significant decline in fraud cases (100%), though it remains a significant target, with some big-name brands apparently falling foul of the law.

Starbucks is currently being sued by a US consumer group, which argues the coffee giant’s ’100% ethical’ sourcing claim misled the public as materials were allegedly acquired from farms and cooperatives that have committed violations against workers.

“On every bag of coffee and box of K-cups sitting on grocery store shelves, Starbucks is telling consumers a lie,” says Sally Greenberg, chief executive officer of the National Consumers League, which has lodged the lawsuit in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. “The facts are clear: there are significant human rights and labour abuses across Starbucks’ supply chain, and consumers have a right to know exactly what they’re paying for.”

Elsewhere, juices (-26%), meat and poultry (-12%), honey (-24%), and fruits and vegetables (-1%) are also predicted to see a drop in cases.

Global Food Fraud Index (source FoodAkai)CategoryForecasted trends in

global fraud incidentsMeat & Poultry-12%Dairy+80%Eggs+150%Cereals & Bakery Products+23%Non-Alcoholic Beverages+16%Fish & Seafood+74%Juices-26%Nuts, Nut Products & Seeds+358%Fats & Oils+20%Olive OilNo changePalm OilNo changeHerbs & Spices+25%CinnamonNo changeMustardNo changeGarlicNo changeFruits & Vegetables-1%Cocoa+66%Coffee-100%Honey-24%What is industry doing to stop food fraud?Stopping food fraud across the industry is essential to food safety and security, but as supply chains become more and more complex, so too does protecting them.

“Food businesses can play a huge role in the fight against food fraud by utilising technology to map the supply chain of a given product, identifying risk for each ingredient and process,” says Authenticate’s Walters.

He goes on to say that making increasingly complex food supply chains more open and observable is key for both supermarkets and shoppers’ understanding of the entire journey of a product.

This involves sharing information about ethical sourcing, sustainability, and compliance, fostering trust and ensuring food safety.

And it’s not just up to the industry. Walters believes consumers need to join the fight.

“While eliminating the risk of food fraud is challenging, consumers can take proactive steps to minimise their exposure,” he says. “Suspiciously low prices are an indicator of potential food fraud, particularly from a supplier they do not know.”

Other red flags include inconsistent labelling as well as a lack of information about the product’s origin, ingredients, or other important details.

Also read → What more can be done to tackle food fraudDairy products, such as cheese, milk, cream and yoghurt, are increasingly at risk from food fraud. (Image: Getty/Diana Miller)