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Gym Wear Avoid A Fake-Out Avoid A Fake-Out Stay healthy with these rip-off-dodging tactics... By Emma Anderson & Gretchen Voss 6 Aug 2013 With the market for counterfeit food products booming, here's how to stay safe: BUY NAMED BRANDS “No High Street retailer would intentionally sell food that doesn’t comply with our robust legislation,” says Hines. “Any prosecution would cause untold damage, it would be widely reported by the media, and sales and confidence in that retailer would fall dramatically.” However, food fraudsters are aware of this and deliberately produce their goods to look like mainstream brands. If the label of branding doesn’t look quite right, or there’s a difference in taste, alert the authorities (FSA’s Food Fraud Hotline: 020 7276 8527). Advertisement - Continue Reading Below AVOID UNREAL DEALS “If it’s cheap, you should wonder why,” says Hines. If you buy the cheapest products, you won’t get the best quality. And you might also get a side-order of food poisoning (or worse) if that product is meat that’s been stored inadequately. Only buy meat from licensed dealers such as supermarkets or butchers. If it’s suspiciously cheap, look for further evidence of its authenticity. When shopping at farmers’ markets, look for the FARMA logo, which denotes the produce is local and the vendor was involved in its production. LOOK AT THE LABEL The biggest giveaway for dodgy wine that has beendiscovered in the past wasthe labelling, says Donohoe: “It was falling off and badly spelled.” If you want to buy a product that claims to be organic, check that it bears the Soil Association stamp, which will confirm beyond doubt that it has been certified as such. On other packaged foods, look out for lot numbers – these are printed black numbers found on the side or the bottom of the packaging and indicate that a quality-control system is in place. ALWAYS BUY LOCAL If you buy produce from the person who grew it, or meat from the person who raised the animal, there are fewer opportunities for the food to be tampered with. And ask questions. “If you are told the food is locally sourced, locally farmed, grown locally or line-caught, you have the ability to seek clarification,” says Hines. One question to ask about meat is: ‘Does this come from a female or male animal?’ Beef from bulls is better and more expensive than meat from female cows. The reverse is true for pork. If the seller doesn’t know, it’s wise to walk away. THE PHONIEST OF THEM ALL Brush up on some of the most fraud-prone ingredients in the UK to make sure you get the real deal... Advertisement - Continue Reading Below BEEF THE SCAM: Passing off cheaper South American beef as European. YOUR PLAN: While you can’t tell where meat is from without isotropic testing, a good steak will have a bit of white fat around it and speckles through it, rather than being a solid red chunk. If buying expensive Aberdeen Angus beef, it should come with certification. If it doesn’t, it’s almost certainly counterfeit. OLIVE OIL THE SCAM: Regular olive or vegetable oils coloured with chlorophyll to look like virgin olive oil. In 2011, two Spanish men were jailed for selling oil that was 70-80% sunflower/20-30% olive as ‘extra virgin’. YOUR PLAN: Look for a harvest date –the more recent, the better. Fusty-tasting oil is also a no. Check the label for a PDO (protected designation of origin) or PGI (protected geographical indication) logo. SAFFRON THE SCAM: Using worthless parts of the saffron crocus to adulterate the highly valuable spice. Adulterated saffron in Britain has been found to contain as little as 10% actual saffron. YOUR PLAN: Buy it from a reputable, knowledgable spice dealer. And be prepared to shell out for the real stuff – saffron costs around £10 per teaspoon. Anything cheaper is likely to be fake. HONEY THE SCAM: Mixing honey with sugar syrup, corn syrup and even antibiotics. Or attempting to pass off cheap imported honey as ‘local’. YOUR PLAN: If your pot of honey claims to be local, look up the address: a supplier in Norfolk who was passing off South American and Chinese honey as locally made was busted when beekeepers in the area got suspicious. ORANGE JUICE THE SCAM: “Adulteration of orange juice, diluted with other citrus fruits, is not uncommon,” says Hines. Other uninvited guests include high-fructose corn syrup and even paprika extract. That’s just odd. YOUR PLAN: Look for the ‘bits’ to indicate that oranges have been involved in the making of this juice. Or squeeze your own for the perfect vitamin C hit and wipe out any doubts about origin. FISH THE SCAM: Selling cheaper breeds such as hake or coley as cod or monkfish. YOUR PLAN: Always look for some indication of origin and a best-before date. The presence of a MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) logo certifies that fish really is from where it says, and that it’s sustainable. To be doubly certain, you can also check its code at msc.org. Then say so long to the food sharks. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below More From Gym Wear Gwyneth and Apple wear matching string bikinis Rita Ora shares 22 new bikini pics Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Dua rings in the NY with an exposed thong dress Jade's naked dress is big 'free the nipple' energy 'I tried the Hydrow, here's my full review' PSA:There's up to 50% off at Modibodi Cosy thermal leggings for winter? 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