Tools to combat food fraud - A gap analysis.

A complex legal and institutional framework exists in the EU to ensure the safety of the feed-food chain, while such an integrated system for combating food fraud is under development. The European Commission (EC) Knowledge Centre for Food Fraud and Quality is charged with the provision of scientific insight for the policy making of EC services dealing with food fraud, and the creation of expert networks with the competent authorities of the EU Member States. To flag gaps in the existing infrastructure needed for effectively and efficiently fighting food fraud, the Centre together with the competent authorities and several EC services undertook a stocktaking exercise of what works well and which areas will need improvement. Out of several focus areas, (i) the development of early warning systems, (ii) the availability of compositional databases of vulnerable foods, and (iii) the creation of centres of competence were prioritised for further action.