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Technological advances have made it rather easy to detect food fraud. The seafood industry, in particular, is rife with dishonesty. In 2014, the Los Angeles Timesreported that 93 percent of fish samples labeled “red snapper” were actually some other species, like tilapia. And more than half of what you think is tuna isn’t tuna.
Europeans are particularly touchy about their food. What Americans call Parmesan cheese is an abomination to Europeans. According to Forbes travel and food writer, Larry Olmsted, authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese:
“… is allowed to contain only three very simple ingredients: milk (produced in the Parma/Reggio region and less than 20 hours from cow to cheese), salt, and rennet (a natural enzyme from calf intestine). Three other ingredients, Cellulose Powder, Potassium Sorbate, and Cheese Cultures are not found in Parmigiano-Reggiano – they are completely illegal in its production. Yet all three are in Kraft 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese.”
Even worse, Bloomberg reported that the third-rate cheese that passes as Parmesan in America might contain more cellulose (a safe filler derived from wood pulp) than it ought to, or it might be a cheaper cheese altogether, such as cheddar.
A research group in Italy has had enough. In an effort to clamp down on counterfeit food, it has devised a chemical test to help determine the authenticity of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Researchers results are published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Read more here. (American Council of Science and Health)
Europeans are particularly touchy about their food. What Americans call Parmesan cheese is an abomination to Europeans. According to Forbes travel and food writer, Larry Olmsted, authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese:
“… is allowed to contain only three very simple ingredients: milk (produced in the Parma/Reggio region and less than 20 hours from cow to cheese), salt, and rennet (a natural enzyme from calf intestine). Three other ingredients, Cellulose Powder, Potassium Sorbate, and Cheese Cultures are not found in Parmigiano-Reggiano – they are completely illegal in its production. Yet all three are in Kraft 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese.”
Even worse, Bloomberg reported that the third-rate cheese that passes as Parmesan in America might contain more cellulose (a safe filler derived from wood pulp) than it ought to, or it might be a cheaper cheese altogether, such as cheddar.
A research group in Italy has had enough. In an effort to clamp down on counterfeit food, it has devised a chemical test to help determine the authenticity of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Researchers results are published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Read more here. (American Council of Science and Health)
