UK - Fake-food scandal revealed as tests show third of products mislabelled.

[dipsydoodle]

Consumers are being sold food including mozzarella that is less than half real cheese, ham on pizzas that is either poultry or "meat emulsion", and frozen prawns that are 50% water, according to tests by a public laboratory.

The checks on hundreds of food samples, which were taken in West Yorkshire, revealed that more than a third were not what they claimed to be, or were mislabelled in some way. Their results have been shared with the Guardian.

Testers also discovered beef mince adulterated with pork or poultry, and even a herbal slimming tea that was neither herb nor tea but glucose powder laced with a withdrawn prescription drug for obesity at 13 times the normal dose.

A third of fruit juices sampled were not what they claimed or had labelling errors. Two contained additives that are not permitted in the EU, including brominated vegetable oil, which is designed for use in flame retardants and linked to behavioural problems in rats at high doses.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/07/fake-food-scandal-revealed-tests-products-mislabelled

[tblue]

1. Oh my gosh!!!

How can that be? Seriously. WTH? This is no accident. This is fraud on a massive scale.

[malaise]

2. Good effin' grief

Greed has frightening consequences - even moreso when our representatives don't enforce regulations.

[dipsydoodle]

3. If its happening here

then chances are its happening everywhere.

[malaise]

15. They used to dumped stuff banned in the US in the Caribbean

and some of our criminals import expired stuff.

[Historic NY]

4. Here's a deady combo.....

"Counterfeit vodka sold by small shops remains a major problem, with several samples not meeting the percentage of alcohol laid down for the spirit. In one case, tests revealed that the "vodka" had been made not from alcohol derived from agricultural produce, as required, but from isopropanol, used in antifreeze and as an industrial solvent."

[hollysmom]

6. well, that will make you blind, unlike masturbating. n/t

[marble falls]

5. UK don't need no need no regulations niether.

[MrScorpio]

7. Jeezus!!!

This is massive

[PATRICK]

8. The article also

mentions that even when exposed the national authorities may not act on the revelations. That such an important fact hardly needs noting is a commentary on the times. I guess the Yorkshire councils are aggressively doing their job in the samplings and this itself is a commentary on everyone else or things would not have gotten this generally bad in the first place.

Also dismaying is the polite tone of the job doers toward everyone else by arguing "we don't want another horsemeat scandal". This isn't a scandal yet??

[spinbaby]

9. I wonder what they'd find on this side of the pond

I'm generally suspicious of processed food and rather neurotically won't buy some kinds of products such as pre-shredded cheese because I don't trust them.

[Shrike47]

10. It's scary what manufacturers will do if they can get away with it.

The Pukes scream about regulations, but ignore what happens if businesses don't get caught. The radio right wing haters tend to say things like 'do you really think this business wants to hurt its' customers?' Honest answer is, they don't give a damn.

[watoos]

11. If it's that bad in the U.K.

I can only imagine what it's like here in the U.S. of A.

[WinkyDink]

13. This makes no sense. The UK isn't known for food purity or inspections.

[Thor_MN]

14. Makes me wonder about all the brands one has never heard of...

I've noticed over the last 10 years or so, there are a lot of ever changing brands that don't seem to be connected to any of the major food companies. I suppose they could be competitive startups (it's earlier and I haven't had coffee yet) or what remains of "generic" food companies. But I do wonder what standards they hold to...

[WinkyDink]

12. Imported?