11 Of The Most Faked Foods In The World | Big Business | Insider Business
TLDRThe video explores how counterfeit and adulterated foods have flooded global markets, driven by criminal rings seeking profit. It reveals how fake versions of expensive foods like truffles, maple syrup, and Kobe beef cheat consumers through misleading labels and ingredient substitution. The script examines tactics used by fraudsters and problems caused, like economic loss and potential health risks. It advises consumers to scrutinize labels, know how to identify real versions of foods, and be willing to pay more for quality to avoid being duped by counterfeits.
Takeaways
- 😲 Up to $40 billion of fraudulent food is sold globally each year, often posing health risks to consumers.
- 😡 Criminal networks commit food fraud for profit by passing off cheap ingredients as expensive, authentic foods.
- 🧐 Wasabi, truffle oil, vanilla, maple syrup and saffron are some of the most frequently counterfeited foods.
- 🔍 Fake foods can be identified through lab tests, product certifications, packaging details, price and visual/taste comparisons.
- 🤯 Half of maple syrup labeled as 'pure' may actually contain zero maple syrup.
- 😠 Parmesan cheese is often cut with wood pulp, and grated Parmesan can have high levels of cellulose.
- 😫 Honey is the most faked food globally - a third of all honey traded internationally is fake.
- 🌿 Real wasabi is extremely rare and difficult to grow, so most wasabi is horseradish with food coloring.
- 🍷 Olive oil labeled 'extra virgin' could contain other cheaper vegetable oils.
- ☕ You may be drinking cheap coffee beans labeled and sold as expensive specialty coffee.
Q & A
Why is imitation maple syrup so much cheaper than real maple syrup?
-Imitation maple syrup is made from cheaper ingredients like corn syrup, sugar, and flavorings, while real maple syrup comes from maple tree sap and takes a lot more sap (40 gallons) to make one gallon of syrup. This makes real maple syrup much more expensive to produce.
What makes truffle oil that is sold in stores largely fake or synthetic?
-Most truffle oil sold in stores contains no actual truffles or mushrooms. It's made by adding a synthetic compound called 2,4-dithiapentane that replicates the aromatic component in truffles, along with olive or vegetable oil.
Why is real wasabi so rare and difficult to grow commercially?
-Real wasabi is very rare and grows naturally along shaded mountain riverbeds in Japan. It has specific temperature and soil needs, takes 18 months to harvest, and has to be processed by hand. This makes it extremely challenging to cultivate commercially.
What is the difference between Parmesan and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese?
-Parmigiano-Reggiano refers to authentic Parmesan cheese that is produced in a specific region of Italy under strict regulations, like 12+ months of aging. 'Parmesan' is a generic term that can be used for similar cheeses made outside that region without following the strict Italian rules.
How can honey fraud hurt legitimate beekeepers?
-The influx of cheap, fake honey being sold undercuts the market for real honey that beekeepers have worked hard to produce. This brings prices down across the board and can make it very difficult for beekeepers to stay in business.
Why is olive oil susceptible to fraud?
-Olive oil fraud is common because the real extra virgin kind is expensive to produce, but can easily be diluted with cheaper oils or lower grades of olive oil that consumers can't distinguish by sight. Criminals make big profits this way.
What health risks are posed by fraudulent foods?
-Besides financial fraud, fake foods can pose serious health risks if they contain undisclosed allergens, toxic chemicals, or dangerous additives not fit for human consumption.
How are criminal organizations involved in selling counterfeit food products?
-Some counterfeit food operations are run like sophisticated businesses with multiple departments handling sourcing, production, packaging, and sales. They try to evade detection by operating across borders online and in areas where real food production also occurs.
Why aren't punishments for food fraud very severe?
-Selling fake or mislabeled food generally doesn't carry penalties as high as violent crimes or drug trafficking. So the risk of harsh punishment isn't enough to deter some fraudsters from chasing big profits.
What are some ways consumers can avoid purchasing counterfeit foods?
-Consumers should buy whole foods when possible, check for indicators of authenticity like seals and designations of origin, buy from reputable local sellers, and be wary of products that seem suspiciously cheap.
Outlines
🍁 Making Maple Syrup is Time Consuming and Expensive, Leading to Widespread Fake Products
It takes 40 gallons of maple tree sap to make 1 jug of real maple syrup. That labor-intensive process makes authentic maple syrup expensive, around $10 per bottle. As a result, stores sell imitation syrups made from corn syrup without any maple at all. Maple fraud involves bottling and selling fake syrup while labeling it as real.
👃 Wasabi Served in the U.S. is Almost Never Real Due to Difficult Farming
Only about 1% of wasabi in the U.S. and 5% in Japan is real. Most is a mix of horseradish, sweeteners, and starch that mimics the flavor. Real wasabi is rare since the plant is the hardest to grow commercially. It needs special mountain stream conditions and takes 18 months before the root can be ground into a paste.
🧀 Rampant Parmesan Cheese Fraud Costs Real Italian Producers $2 Billion Annually
Authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese has to be made in one small region of Italy with strict regulations. Yet generic Parmesan and grated cheese with fillers are commonly sold in the U.S. More concerning, counterfeit cheese rings illegally produce and market fake cheese as the real Italian kind, costing Parmigiano-Reggiano producers in Italy huge sums in lost sales.
🥜 Olive Oil is One of the Most Frequently Counterfeited Foods Via Oil Mixing
Extra virgin olive oil is freshly squeezed from ripe olives, mostly in Spain, Italy and Greece. However, fraudsters often mix cheap vegetable and soybean oils while still labeling bottles as extra virgin olive oil. Consumers should read labels closely, buy reputable brands, check pressed-on harvest dates, and smell for distinct grassy notes.
🍯 A Third of all Traded Honey is Fake or Adulterated
A third of the honey traded globally is fake, mixed with cheap corn and rice syrups to save money and increase profits. China is considered the biggest source of counterfeit honey. Consumers should buy raw honey from local beekeepers and farmers markets, even if it costs more, in order to avoid fraudulent blends.
🌾 Saffron is Among the Most Expensive Spices, Making it a Prime Target for Cheap Counterfeits
Real saffron comes from the tiny red threads of a crocus flower stigma. It takes over 150,000 flowers to produce just 1 kilo. As the world's most expensive spice, criminals try to mimic it with cheaper ingredients like hay and charge real saffron prices. But real saffron slowly bleeds a yellow color when soaked in warm water.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Maple Syrup
💡Truffle Oil
💡Wasabi
💡Parmesan Cheese
💡Vanilla Extract
💡Honey
💡Olive Oil
💡Coffee
💡Saffron
💡Counterfeit Food
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Transcripts
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