HACCP Australia Technical Director Martin Stone has been featured in an Inside FMCG article examining food fraud, supplier assurance and the role of testing in protecting product integrity.
The article follows recent ABC Four Corners reporting on food fraud and product authenticity in Australia, which has brought renewed attention to how food businesses verify claims made across complex supply chains.
While traceability systems, supplier declarations, specifications and certificates all play an important role, Martin told Inside FMCG that documentation should form part of a broader supplier assurance programme, rather than being treated as the end of the process.
As Martin explained:
“Traceability can tell you where a product came from and where it went. Verification asks whether the information itself can be trusted.”
For food manufacturers, retailers and foodservice businesses, the issue is not simply whether supplier paperwork is complete. The more important question is whether the evidence genuinely supports the product’s identity, safety and integrity.
Higher-risk ingredients, unusual product claims, complex supply chains or products with a known history of substitution may require additional verification steps. These can include certificate validation, supplier audits, targeted testing, sample reviews or visits to critical suppliers.
Food fraud can affect consumer confidence, brand reputation and, in some cases, food safety. A risk-based supplier assurance programme helps businesses identify where additional checks are needed and where documentation alone may not be enough.
Read the Inside FMCG article here.