Business Daily Media

Men's Weekly

.

Fighting food fraud necessary to protect Brand Australia

  • Written by David Sly


PwC reports that globally food fraud costs the food industry over $50 billion each year. It is a growing but largely unspoken menace and Australia is not immune. Brand Australia is being hijacked by unscrupulous operators who are counterfeiting our local food and wine products in overseas markets. The overall cost to Australian exporters is unknown although likely in the billions and mostly affecting dairy, wine, meat, horticulture and seafood exports.

 

“The scale of what we are dealing with is horrific. Fraud is one of the top 10 industries in the world – similar to narcotics as a gigantic global business that can’t be ignored,” says Mr Al Jawhari, Chief Technology Officer with Beston Global Food Group in Adelaide, which has developed innovative anti-counterfeiting and traceability products to prove the provenance authenticity of its premium foods. “With so much money being generated by food fraud, it means that counterfeiters approach what they do with huge financial investment and sophistication of technology. It’s a race to see who stays ahead of the game.”

 

Mr Jawhari will lead a team of industry technologists and research partners within the proposed Fight Food Waste and Fraud CRC partnership to develop new and improved traceability integration and anti-counterfeit products, expanding the range and methods by which Australian food and wine products can be protected from fraud.

 

Mr Jawhari also sees new food industry anti-fraud technology playing a leading role in innovations that other industries can follow – especially pharmaceuticals, textiles and fashion. “The CRC will allow the freedom of cross-industry communication to share ideas and innovations that keep everyone ahead in the technological race to usurp counterfeiters and their ever-changing adaptations.”

 

“We need to be able to clearly identify what food or wine is in the package – not just to have distinctive packaging, but to prove the integrity of the ingredients inside, to ensure the credibility and value of our premium goods,” says Mr Jawhari. “The proposed CRC will be the research & development driver for this technological advance, which will be crucial if Australia’s food and wine industries are going to remain a decisive step ahead of international counterfeiters.”

 

The quiet majority: why marketers need to cater to low intent shoppers

When shoppers are browsing online, whether for a new phone, holiday, or pair of shoes, they usually know exactly where they stand. Sometimes they’...

Lack of Salary Transparency is Costing Businesses Top Talent, Says Recruiters

As end-of-financial-year reviews approach, new research reveals a growing disconnect between Australian employers and employees on the issue of sa...

Sleep Soundly, Knowing Your People Are Paid Right: Navigating the Complexities of Modern Payroll

The Role of Modern Payroll Modern payroll systems are essential to any organization's financial infrastructure in today's rapidly evolving business...

Tariffs for dummies: Getting to grips with the business of exporting goods and services

It pays to understand how the international taxation system works before you start selling abroad. Take a glance at the business news just now an...

Deputy Unveils Enterprise-Grade Analytics+ to Power Smarter Workforce Decisions for Shift-Based Businesses

Deputy, the world’s leading workforce management platform for shift work, today announced the global launch of Deputy Analytics+, a next-generatio...

UNSW startup accelerator offers $200K to the next generation of Australian deeptech unicorns

UNSW Founders, Australia’s most recommended startup accelerator, has partnered with fund manager Luminary Partners to invest $200,000 each into 18...

Sell by LayBy