INSME is excited to announce it will be part of the European Food Fraud Community of Practice (EFF-CoP), an innovative three-year project aimed at tackling food fraud and enhancing the transparency and authenticity of food supply chains across Europe. With €2 million in funding from Horizon Europe, the project brings together a diverse group of stakeholders, including scientists, regulators, food industry leaders, SMEs, laboratories, and more.
Led by Prof. Saskia van Ruth, Professor of Food Supply Chain Integrity at UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, this initiative will create a collaborative ecosystem focused on food authenticity, traceability, and fraud prevention. The project’s overarching goal is to foster innovation and research that strengthens consumer confidence in food products, ensuring fair competition across the industry.
EFF-CoP will engage over 5000 members and utilise a variety of innovative tools to achieve its objectives, including food fraud festivals, gamified training courses, webinars, and the “Authentic Appetites” podcast series. A key feature of the project is its focus on SMEs, which are often at the forefront of the food sector but face unique challenges in ensuring transparency and compliance with regulatory standards. By embedding SMEs into a knowledge-sharing network, EFF-CoP will help them access valuable tools and resources to combat food fraud and improve their supply chain practices. The project also counts on the expertise of SSAFE, a global non-profit organisation with over a decade of experience in food fraud prevention, to support its mission.
Source: INSME Secretariat
