Animal by-products, origin declarations, and potatoes are some of the topics on the radar of the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU), according to the agency’s annual update.
Major risks are the conflict in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis in the UK. For the latter, intelligence is pointing to cost-cutting practices by businesses, mostly in smaller-scale establishments, which may lead to fake or unsafe products being offered to consumers or other companies.
NFCU action from 2021 to 2022 included closing websites that sold the toxic chemical 2,4- dinitrophenol (DNP) for human consumption. Operation Atlas, which began in June 2020, investigated the sale of DNP and other drugs on the dark web. Jack Finney was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to offenses related to selling DNP. Also, a consultation around including DNP in the Poisons Act has now concluded.
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