The GFSI food fraud prevention compliance development & requirements: A ten-year review

Abstract

BackgroundTen years ago, in 2012, the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) led the food industry when it created a standardized way to assess and manage food fraud incidents. GFSI adopted an interdisciplinary approach to not only detect food fraud but to understand and reduce the root causes. A series of crucial milestones guided the GFSI work, starting with creating their GFSI Food Fraud Think Tank through the Technical Working Group benchmark development, the adoption by the GSFI Board of Directors, and then development, implementation, and management by the food industry. Scope and approachThis research presents the key GFSI food fraud prevention strategy development milestones from the historical records and a member of the original GFSI Food Fraud Think Tank. Key findings and conclusionsGFSI achieved momentum by establishing a food industry-wide definition and scope of the problem. Further, focusing on all types of fraud and for all products – not just incoming goods and adulterant-substances – created a holistic and all-encompassing approach. The new topic of food fraud prevention is moving through the ‘hype cycle’ and is now in the ‘Scope of Enlightenment’ (e.g., processes and systems are simplified and optimized) and moving to the ‘Plateau of Productivity’ (e.g., standard operating procedures are adopted). GFSI, itself is maturing and evolving through the ‘hype cycle.’ The next ten years will include a more rigorous and thorough adoption of management systems with a continuous improvement process. The foundation is very theoretically and practically sound.