💼 FOOD FRAUD EPIDEMIC: Billions Lost as Scammers Target Honey, Olive Oil, and More




💼 BBC Business • Thursday, February 12, 2026

⚡ Key Highlights

  • Food crime is a massive problem with an estimated annual cost of £81bn ($110bn)
  • Fraudsters often target high-value foods like olive oil and honey
  • Honey is particularly vulnerable to fraud due to its complexity and lack of international definition
  • Current methods for detecting fake honey are imperfect and often ineffective

Why food fraud persists, even with improving tech. Food crime mostly goes unreported, so it’s difficult to grasp its scale. It can include diluting or substituting ingredients, altering documents, or going through unapproved processes. One 2025 estimate is that food crime costs the global economy around £81bn ($110bn) a year. Fraudsters tend to target commonly consumed foods, like dairy, and high-value foods, like olive oil. Along with alcohol, seafood and edible oils, honey is frequently among the most common foods that are faked.

🏷️ Keywords:

food fraud honey olive oil food crime edible oils


Original Source: BBC Business

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