| Abstract: |
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has defined economically motivated adulteration (EMA) as the “fraudulent, intentional substitution or addition of a substance in a product for the purpose of increasing the apparent value of the product or reducing the cost of its production, i.e., for economic gain.”[1] Common types of EMA include substitution or dilution of an authentic ingredient with a different and cheaper product; flavor or color enhancement using illicit or unapproved substances; and mislabeling of a product. An EMA incident results in brand damage; significant economic loss for industry; costs to government from public health, regulatory agency and law enforcement response activities; and consumer mistrust in the food system. |
