Selvarani Elahi, Steve Ellison and Mark Woolfe describe a Defra initiative to bring together all those interested in food authenticity testing to help combat food fraud.
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In January 2013, the Food Safety Authority–Ireland issued the results of its small survey of retail burgers, which found the presence of horsemeat DNA in 37% of the samples. The immediate reaction by both the Irish and UK Governments and the food industry was to initiate a large scale programme of testing of meat products. By the end of the investigation, the Irish and UK food industries had analysed over 26,000 samples, UK local authorities had analysed over 500 samples and the EU (27 countries) over 4000 samples for horse DNA.
Routine DNA testing for horse was much less common in 2013-14 than it was for the UK commercial meat species and therefore to accommodate the volume of samples requiring analysis, testing laboratories had to set up DNA assays for horse. During the height of the horsemeat issue, Defra commissioned LGC to provide reference materials to laboratories undertaking testing of samples for the UK government surveys and to determine the limit of detection so that the results could be interpreted with confidence. A further project was commissioned with LGC to develop and standardise a robust real-time PCR assay for the accurate quantitation of horsemeat in meat products.
After the horsemeat incident, Defra commissioned Prof Chris Elliott[1] to make recommendations to avoid similar food fraud incidents in the future. Recommendation No 4 of the Elliott Review of the ‘Integrity and Assurance of Food Supply Networks’ concerns laboratory testing and states that: ‘Those involved with audit, inspection and enforcement must have access to resilient, sustainable laboratory services that use standardised, validated approaches.
The Government should:
• Facilitate work to standardise the approaches used by the laboratory community testing for food authenticity;
• Work with interested parties to develop ‘Centres of Excellence’, creating a framework for standardising authenticity testing.’
After consulting with interested parties involved with food authenticity testing, Defra commissioned a 2-year project with LGC starting in April 2015 to set up the Food Authenticity Network.'
The Network was launched in July 2015 via a website; it reports to the joint Defra / Food Standards Agency Authenticity Steering Group (ASG). The website is designed to satisfy two requirements of the Network. The first is to serve as a repository of information on research, methods of analysis and laboratories offering authenticity testing (Centres of Expertise). The second is to act as an open forum for the interchange of information between members of the ‘authenticity community’ to resolve authenticity problems and in particular to promote discussion about ‘fit for purpose’ methods and promotion of best measurement practice in authenticity analysis. The most suitable approach to meet these requirements was to use a ‘social-network’ platform as the basis of the website.
Management
Although, the Network reports into the ASG, it was considered important that there should be an independent overview, which has been achieved by the formation of a Management Committee with representation from a range of stakeholder organisations. The Management Committee piloted the website before its launch, approved the criteria for membership and has an on-going role assisting in the decisions concerning which materials are suitable for website content, advising on whether improvements need to be made, commenting on whether the Network is fulfilling its objectives and ensuring sustainability for the Network beyond March 2017.
Network Structure
Membership of the Network is free and anyone with an interest in food authenticity can register and have access to the website. So far, over 400 members have registered. The top three groups of members come from the food industry, those involved with authenticity testing and regulators (mainly from local authorities) (Figure 1). Most members are from the UK, but a growing number of overseas members are registering too.
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Figure 1
Network resources
The Network provides information on a wide range of food authenticity topics, which can be accessed from the website (Table 1).
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Table 1 Information resources
Centres of Expertise
With the aim of providing a resilient network of laboratories, the UK Government’s Authenticity Methods Working Group produced a number of criteria[2] outlining the type of qualities an organisation offering particular expertise might be expected to demonstrate. Such a laboratory could then be classed as a ‘Centre of Expertise’ (CoE). The Government invited organisations working in the authenticity field to complete a self-assessment pro forma providing evidence of their capabilities. So far 14 CoEs have been acknowledged and their details can be found on the website organised into four groups: Academic/Research, General Proficiency, Specific Techniques and Specific Commodity. There is an expectation that CoEs will offer support and advice in their areas of expertise both within the Network and more widely if required. Members can contact the CoEs directly. Other organisations can apply to become a CoE by completing the pro forma on the website.
Future plans
The Network is currently funded by Defra until the end of March 2017. In the meantime, options are being investigated to put it on to a long term, sustainable basis so that it can continue to function as envisaged by the Elliott Review and help stakeholders to better combat food fraud.
Selvarani Elahi is Deputy Government Chemist at LGC and Project Officer of the Network.
Steve Ellison is Chief Statistician at LGC, and Mark Woolfe (ex Head of the Food Authenticity Programme at the FSA) is Network Secretary.
Email: Selvarani.Elahi@lgcgroup.comWeb:http://www.foodauthenticity.uk/
If you’re not already a member of the Food Authenticity Network then please visit the website and sign up.
