Food fraud is often dismissed as a niche issue. The evidence suggests otherwise.

New research from the University of Portsmouth estimates food fraud costs the UK economy between £400 million and £2 billion every year, making it one of the country's most significant forms of economic crime. The study highlights practices including product substitution, false labelling and document fraud, with wider impacts on legitimate businesses, market confidence and, in some cases, public health.

For fraud professionals, the message is clear: fraud is not confined to financial services. Wherever there are complex supply chains, commercial pressures and opportunities to misrepresent products, fraud risks can emerge.

The positive takeaway is that strong collaboration between regulators, manufacturers, retailers and assurance bodies appears to be helping make food fraud harder to commit and detect earlier when it occurs.

An important reminder effective fraud prevention protects not only finances, but also trust, consumer confidence and market integrity.