Engaged to assist Professor Michael T Roberts to research and draft the UN FAO Background Paper International and National regulatory strategies to counter food fraudAbstract:Food fraud has beset governments for centuries, and the legal responses to it have been uniquely suited to the sensibilities of the time. This publication follows the concept of food fraud described to occur when a fraudster intentionally deceives a customer about the quality and/or contents of the foods they wish to purchase, and such act is done to obtain an undue advantage, most often economic, for the fraudster. The vastness and complexity of food fraud, and the versatility in regulatory approaches can challenge national governments in their attempts to develop a coherent, focused approach to food fraud. To respond to this challenge, this paper introduces the available international regulatory guidance and the potential legal strategies at the national and regional level. It identifies and analyses some of the regulatory approaches to food fraud that countries have chosen and pays attention to the role of the private sector in food fraud regulation.Cite this content as:Roberts, M.T., Viinikainen, T., Bullon, C. 2022. International and national regulatory strategies to counter food fraud. Rome, FAO and UCLA. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb9035en

Food Labelling Matters is a boutique business dedicated to food regulatory and scientific affairs, with regulatory and scientific news and commentary. Food Labelling Matters provides businesses with regulatory and scientific services to achieve compliance with the vast array of regulatory requirements in the sale and advertising of food, and add value to your food, nutraceuticals, functional foods, foods for special medical purposes, supplemented foods, sports foods, infant formula and other foods and health products sold and advertised in Australia and New Zealand. Services in:Food label and compositional reviews for compliance with Australia New Zealand Food Standards CodeRisk & compliance advice for health products marketed at the food/complementary medicines interfaceHealth claim compliance including systematic reviews of scientific evidence according to regulatory frameworkLiaison with regulatory agencies – federal and state (FSANZ, DAFF, NSW Food Authority, Department of Health (QLD, Victoria, ACT, TAS, WA and SA) and the ACCC and TGA)Labelling compliance programs and implementation (in-house)Labelling compliance tutorials, training sessions and presentations (in-house)Food labelling policy research and development

Project on the Netherlands honey supply chain, gathering insights into the fraud vulnerability of honey using the SSAFE Food Fraud Vulnerability Assessment Questionnaire. The research opportunity is funded by the EU Food Integrity project, and supported by RIKILT.

Lead author (co-authors Christine Parker, Casimir McGregor and Alan Peterson) of peer-reviewed research paper including a case study/survey of acai berry products for sale in Australia and regulation of anti-ageing health claims. This project was funded by the Australian Research Council.See project Anti-ageing health claims on foods regulation - CASE STUDY: Acai berry

As a food regulator I investigated and prosecuted serious breaches of the Food Act 2003, it's regulations and the Food Standards Code. Specialised in enforcing the labelling provisions of the Food Standards Code including its complex mandatory requirements, prohibitions and permissions. I conducted a number of food fraud investigations and prosecutions including: imported coffee/tea/chocolate marketed as natural slimming foods adulterated with the withdrawn anti-obesity Schedule 4 Pharmaceutical - Sibutramine; toxic yellow oleander seed sold as the slimming miracle 'The Latin Seed'​; untraceable cuts of meats sold as premium "Stress free Black Angus"​; imported pork sold as 'Product of Australia' and numerous health claim compliance matters. My microbiology and food safety knowledge and understanding was demonstrated when I prosecuted the food borne illness outbreak in 2009 involving Listeria monocytogenes contaminated chicken wraps sold on Virgin Blue airlines; the penalty awarded to the chicken manufacturer is the highest on record for a successful foodborne illness case. Along with other state food regulators, I was a member of the interagency government implementation subcommittee (ISFR) which was central to the development of standard 1.2.7 nutrition, health and related claims - the new health claim laws. In this role I developed an expert understanding and application of the food labelling laws as well as the risks and challenges facing food businesses advertising food and health products for sale in Australia and New Zealand.

As the scientific and legal researcher for the environmental, product liability and regulatory specialist team, I conducted literature reviews of the developing science relevant to pertinent issues in tobacco, food and pharmaceuticals litigation and regulation.All Practical Legal Training requirements for GradCertLegPrac were met in this role.

As a freelance factual investigator and part time law student I investigated workers compensation, public and product liability and other claims for compensation, compiling factual reports for a number of legal firms, insurance companies and investigative agencies.

I undertook full time paralegal work managing the files of 2000 plaintiffs in the breast implant class action. I was responsible for scientific and legal research.