Food counterfeiting in general; counterfeiting of milk and dairy products

Abstract

After giving a general description and historic perspective of food counterfeiting, the questions regarding food counterfeiting today, the nature of food counterfeiting, detection and combating food counterfeiting, and possible legal sanctions against food counterfeiting will be answered. Then the establishment and role of national anti-counterfeit organizations, the national anti-counterfeiting strategy, the expected benefits of actions against counterfeiting, the punishment of counterfeiting, and some cases regarding the counterfeiting of food are discussed. In the case of counterfeiting of milk and dairy products, the milk of various animal species, buffalo, goat and sheep, as well as cows' milk is being falsified by mixing soymilk with cow's milk. Hereinafter, the detection of whey and the buttermilk from milk, the determination of whey protein from dairy products, the analysis of milk produced from milk powder and other options for milk and milk product counterfeiting are discussed. Finally, questions regarding the detection of other fats in milk, butter and ghee, the dilution of milk, determination of the heat treatment of milk and dairy products, the detection of the amount of spoiled milk unfit for consumption are answered. Analytical methods that can be used to detect counterfeits are always referred to.