Honey
Faux honey represents seven percent of food fraud cases, according to the study in Journal of Food Sciences. Pollen from the bee-made product rarely makes it to store shelves, with 75 percent of honey containing no pollen. The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) United States Standards for Grades of Extracted Honey allows pollen to be screened out as part of a process to remove particles of bee parts and organic matter, but producers are using this to their advantage to sell cheaper "honey." The faux honey scandal arose when China began to launder the sweet bee product by sending containers of cut-rate honey to the Philippines to have it relabeled and sent to American companies. The honey was contaminated with unauthorized antibiotics and pesticides that can impose a series of health risks to consumers of the nectar product.
Olive Oil
This oil has ranked as the food most susceptible to fraud, accounting for 16 percent of the Food Fraud Database records. Extra virgin olive oil supposedly imported from Spain or Italy may not hail from the country the food label claims. Producers are diluting the food product with fake oils, such sunflower oil and vegetable oil. In a report by the USP, one of the cases of olive oil fraud contained lard - pig fat - as the adulterant.
Saffron
This spice is exotic and costly, which makes it vulnerable to adulteration. The vivid crimson color and thread commonly found in saffron have been substituted by turmeric, poppy petals, gypsum, and even sandalwood dye, reports the FDD. Other spices are commonly diluted with lead chromate, and in some cases toxic Japanese star anise is sold as "Chinese star anis" after being diluted with lead tetroxide.
Milk
Milk doesn't always come from a cow. The dairy product consumed by adults and kids of all ages has been found to be sold as faux milk - the combination of oil, urea, detergent, caustic soda, sugar, salt, and skim milk powder. During the 2009, Chinese milk scandal, which caused alarm throughout the world, 50 to 60 children from poor farm families in China died after being fed fake milk formula that contained little to no nutrients, said CBS News.
Orange Juice
While orange juice can easily be made by anyone by using freshly squeezed oranges, juice producers still tamper with the vitamin C drink. Juice producers have been known to put unrecognizable lemon juice, grapefruit juice, and even beet sugar to pump up the drink. Orange juice is considered to be to be one of the FFD's most commonly reported products with potassium sulfate, corn sugar, and ascorbic acid added to the drink.
Coffee
The morning cup of Joe possibly might not come from Colombia, Peru, or even from your local neighborhood. Instant coffee is more prone to adulteration than beans, often coming cut with cereals, starch, and figs, among many other ingredients. To prevent the risk of possible faux coffee, buy whole coffee beans and grind them at work or at the office.
Alcohol
This drink can provide a sigh of relief after a long day's work. However, drinking a cranberry vodka may not provide relief for your health. At least once, vodkas have been spotted to contain anti-freeze and other harmful chemicals, the Daily Mail reported in January of 2012l. A forensic analysis of the chemicals showed high levels of methanol that can cause a variety of problems - even death.
Fish
Fish is one of the most commonly tampered-with foods sold in the U.S. According to the Oceana Study, approximately 60 percent of the fish labeled "tuna" is in fact not tuna. Eighty-four percent of white tuna that is sold in Japanese restaurants was found to be escolar - a fish that can cause digestive effects.
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