Jan Mei Soon-Sinclair

• PhD in Food Safety, University of Coventry
• Lecturer at University of Central Lancashire

Purpose The demand for halal food products is increasing globally. However, fraudulent activities in halal products and certification are also rising. One strategy to ensure halal integrity in the food supply chain is applying halal blockchain technology. However, to date, a few studies have assessed the factors and variables that facilitate or hin...

Purpose The 2008 Chinese melamine milk scandal resulted in six reported fatalities and affected around 300,000 children, of whom 54,000 were hospitalised. Previous studies have used linear approaches to examine the root causes of the melamine milk scandal. Design/methodology/approach In the present study, we applied a systems approach to the melam...

Southeast Asia is projected to be the fourth largest economy in 2050, where agriculture and food are key sectors contributing to the regional’s GDP. However, ensuring food safety and traceability remains a challenge in the region and this offers ripe opportunity for fraudsters to take advantage of the system. This study aims to provide an overview...

BSACI 2023 conference

Minimally-processed fresh produce items have been implicated in multiple foodborne disease outbreaks. This reiterates the important role of Good Manufacturing Practices and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) to ensure the safety of minimally processed fresh produce. The main elements of GMP include personnel, premises, products & pr...

At $1.5 billion the African seed sector accounts for 3.5 per cent of the global seed market. The growth is attributed to economic reforms and African countries adopting market-oriented policies promoting the private sector role and regional integration. However, smallholder farmers have reported poor quality certified seeds on the market. Therefore...

Dark kitchen is a delivery-only restaurant that operates without direct contact with the consumer, has no premises for local consumption and sells exclusively through online platforms. The main objective of this work is to identify and characterise dark kitchens in three urban centres featured in the most used food delivery app in Brazil. To this e...

Covid-19 had shown the vulnerability of the food supply chain and fraudsters may take advantage of the pandemic whilst the population needed a continuous supply of safe and quality food. The lack of monitoring and policing in the food supply chain may encourage fraudsters to upscale their operations. Previous studies had warned of a surge in fraudu...

Purpose Food allergies (FA) and celiac disease (CD) are becoming increasingly prevalent among Late Adolescents (LA) (18–24 years). This period is a challenging developmental stage, whereby individuals transition from parental supervision to the self-management of their FA and CD. Hence, poor food selection behaviour (FSB) is common among these indi...

The threat of COVID-19 has altered consumers shopping behaviour and increased consumers' willingness to purchase food using online food delivery services. Consumers were more likely to practice strict hand hygiene measures and were concerned with food safety. Such behaviours were likely driven by the fear and threat of contracting COVID-19. This st...

This study aims to discuss the use of multiple layers of defence to prevent foodborne illness in restaurants. A defence model was developed based on Reason's Swiss Cheese Model. Reason's model was extended by adding the concept of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, as well as Five Keys to Safer Food. The defence system was divided into se...

Purpose Coeliac disease (CD) is a lifelong autoimmune disorder and is managed with a strict gluten-free (GF) diet. At diagnosis, an individual's nutritional status is affected by how long CD has been active, their dietary intake, intestinal inflammation and degree of malabsorption. This study explores if age and time since diagnosis affect nutritio...

Primary and secondary food processing had been identified as areas vulnerable to fraud. Besides the food processing area, other stages within the food supply chain are also vulnerable to fraud. This study aims to develop a Bayesian network (BN) model to predict food fraud type and point of adulteration i.e., the occurrence of fraudulent activity. T...

Food fraud is an old but also recurring problem. It has re-emerged as a major risk to consumers with both food safety and food quality concerns. The approach to address food fraud differs from traditional food safety threats, as fraud is not readily predicted by using traditional food safety risk assessments and intervention strategies. The key to...

Background Food recalls and alerts associated with undeclared allergens and other forms of labelling errors are on the rise. Besides undeclared allergens, other mislabelling such as undeclared ingredients, providing wrong shelf-life, wrong or lack of storage instructions also pose significant health consequences to consumers. Hence, by identifying...

Wet markets play an important role in food security and consumers often view the produce as fresher and cheaper. It is highly prevalent in Asia and a source of livelihood for many small and medium businesses. Studies have revealed that highly unsanitary markets, especially those with live bird stalls operating within the wet market could pose a thr...

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered consumers’ relationship with food, whether through shopping, increased home cooking, taking pre-cautionary measures during food shopping, food delivery and whilst dining out. This study aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on consumers’ food safety knowledge, attitude and practices and to identify the pr...

Factors contributing to foodborne illnesses in Malaysia were identified as insanitary food handling procedures and lack of hygiene in food preparation area. Food safety at home is a critical point as consumers represent the final step in food preparation and prevention of foodborne diseases. This study aims to investigate the food safety knowledge,...

The incidence of allergic reactions to food occurring in eating out situations is becoming increasingly prevalent amongst susceptible consumers. Previous studies repeatedly identified food allergy knowledge gaps among foodservice staff. This highlights the importance of food safety and food allergy training in foodservices to minimise risk of food...

Food fraud is prevalent in China and the increasing number of reported cases undermined the credibility of food safety authorities and the agri-food industry. Food scandals have caused Chinese consumers to be anxious and distrustful of local food products. Urban consumers have resorted to domestic risk mitigating strategies to identify fraudulent f...

Background Global food safety incidents are frequently reported and are on the rise. Although the increase in number of food safety incidents is impacted by improved surveillance and reporting systems and increased awareness from consumers, nevertheless the increase in food safety issues is a threat to public health and the economic costs of countr...

Social media offers numerous advantages for personal users and organizations to communicate, socialize, and market their products. When used correctly, social media is an effective tool to communicate and to share food safety news and good practices. However, there have been reports of fake food safety news shared via social media, fueling panic an...

Previous studies identified that the origin of food fraud imported into EU was most commonly China. However, which food and drink categories were most affected by fraud? This study aimed to use bayesian network to predict food fraud products originating from China. RASFF notifications related to China were reviewed from 2004 to 2018.1,668 fraud-rel...

Purpose Coeliac disease (CD) is a life-long condition requiring strict adherence to a gluten-free (GF) diet. Due to wide claims of availability and lower costs of gluten-free food (GFF) and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England needing to save costs, access to prescriptions for patients with CD is being limited in England. The purpose of...

Background Multiple food fraud vulnerability assessment (FFVA) tools have been developed and refined to capture and quantify food fraud issues in the supply chain. Scope and approach The aim of this research is to review existing FFVA tools and the databases that underpin them and consider the challenges, limitations and opportunities in their use...

Purpose Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world and represents a significant global-market opportunity for halal food producers. Surprisingly, halal-food consumption in Indonesia remains under-researched. Thus, this study aims to investigate the factors influencing consumers’ halal-food consumption, using an extended theory of plan...

Street-vended food is a popular choice among consumers as they are cheap, convenient and easily accessible, especially in Asia. Studies have assessed street food vendors’ food safety and microbiological quality of street-vended foods and overall findings revealed gaps and inconsistencies in hygiene practices. High numbers of street food vendors vs...

Stingless bees are native to tropical region and produce honey which are high in moisture content. Compared to honey from honeybees, there are limited studies on honey derived from stingless bees. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and antioxidant activities of stingless bee honey. Fifteen types of honey were coll...

Counterfeiting of food and beverage products is rife and premium brands are often targeted by fraudsters. Such is the case with Scotch whisky, a global, reputable brand revered for its heritage and tradition. Using Scotch whisky as a case study, the aim of this paper is to review existing literature and industry information to determine the market...

From a crime prevention perspective, food crime remains a challenge. Whilst opportunity for crime can be reduced by implementing situational measures and addressing the potential perpetrators, their possible actions and criminal behaviour, the trade-offs which occur in the food supply chain that motivate such activity still remains complex. These h...

In recent years, the issue of food fraud has become both widely discussed within the food industry and seemingly more prevalent, with incidents happening worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of different types of anti-fraud tools within the UK food industry. The study utilised an online survey questionnaire and food manuf...

Food allergies are becoming more prevalent and affect up to 1–2% of adults and 5–8% of children in the UK. This study investigated the food allergen knowledge, attitude towards food allergens and food allergy management practices among food allergic and intolerant consumers and/or their family members and carers. Questionnaires were distributed at...

Purpose Appropriate hand hygiene technique is a simple and effective method to reduce cross contamination and transmission of foodborne pathogens. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the frequency of hand hygiene activities among food handlers and consumers in fast food restaurants (FFRs). Design/methodology/approach A total of 25 FFRs and...

Purpose Halal food market has grown significantly over the years. As consumers are becoming more aware of the significance of halal food products and certification, food industries will benefit from a model that controls and assures halal food production. Quality function deployment (QFD) is a tool to support product design and improve food qualit...

Purpose Coeliac disease (CD) is a prevalent autoimmune disorder, affecting 1 in 100 of all individuals in the UK. Currently, the only treatment for CD is the complete avoidance of gluten, a protein commonly found in wheat, rye and barley. The use of alternative grains (AG) is highly recommended to individuals with CD to improve and diversify their...

Background: Food smuggling and food trafficking are terms not currently defined in the food literature. This work sought to determine how such definitions could be developed in order to inform future research and surveillance activity. Scope and approach: The concept of food smuggling and food trafficking is considered, and regulatory food surveill...

The aim of this study was to assess food allergen knowledge, attitude and self-reported practices among consumers in Malaysia. An online survey was conducted and data were analysed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. A model linking food allergen knowledge and attitude and their direct effects on practices were confirmed u...

There remains a paucity of research in food allergies in Sub-saharan Africa. It is the aim of this study to determine the self-reported prevalence of food allergies and consumers’ perceptions towards food allergen labelling in Mauritius. A survey was conducted in four supermarkets in the Municipalities of Vacoas-Phoenix, Quatre-Bornes and Moka duri...

Food supply chain fraud occurs as a result of a multiplicity of drivers, motivations, and intended outcomes. The aim of this book chapter is to consider one aspect of food fraud, namely adulteration and provide comment on reported prevalence, and critique the use of countermeasures, including product sampling, to minimise, or where possible elimina...

This book contextualises, evaluates, and problematises the (lack of) legal and regulatory organisation involved in the many processes of food production, distribution, and consumption. Turning a criminological gaze on the conditions under which food is (un)regulated, this book encompasses a range of discussions on the problematic conditions under w...

The aim of the study was to critique the food adulteration trends associated with cereals and bakery products from Poland. The methodological approach was to firstly review existing literature to define and outline the challenge of food adulteration and the degree of harmonisation, or not, of definitions, and then to analyse local and European data...

Microwave heating technology is widely used in food catering and domestic households. Nonuniformity of microwave temperature distribution causes the formation of hot and cold spots in heated product has led to the survival of foodborne pathogens which may later cause food borne diseases. It is the aim of this study to determine the effect of differ...

There is an increasing number of food allergic reactions occurring in food services including takeaways. This study investigated the food allergy knowledge, attitude and practices of staff in takeaways. Although more than half of the takeaways’ staff (n=28) demonstrated good food allergy knowledge, there still exists some misunderstanding among the...

Food allergen labelling is mandatory and regulated whilst precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) remains voluntary in most countries. It is the aim of this study to identify the food allergens declared in food products sold in a developing country and to what extent food allergens and PAL are emphasised in the products. A total of 505 food and beve...

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/354/6319/1526/tab-e-letters

Purpose Provenance and ethical standards reflect foods that traceable and are supportive of the environment, sustainability and justice in the food supply chain. The purpose of this study is to understand higher education consumers’ food choices and to examine the predictors of purchasing intention of food with provenance and ethical standards. D...

As a result of mandatory labelling legislation, major food allergens that commonly cause allergic reactions are declared on packaging. The usage of precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) on packaging is not regulated in all countries, and the food industry uses various forms of “may contain” labelling which firstly is often inconsistent and secondl...

Purpose This paper attempts to provide an overview of different understandings regarding the concept of "what constitutes halal" and "who determines this concept?" In practice, this equates to contemporary legal understandings versus religious understandings. The paper further aims to provide an overview of competing Muslim understandings regardin...

This paper explores the occurrence and impact of mycotoxins linked to cereals and their indirect impact on human food safety. Epidemiological cases are used to evaluate the impact of mycotoxins on food and feed supply chains. It is shown that mycotoxins pose significant problems and, the implementation and enforcement of legislation, and the develo...

Purpose Food businesses provide halal food to cater to the dietary requirements of Muslims, especially in communities with a growing number of the ethnic minority and at public institutions such as higher education establishments. A large and growing body of literature has investigated the purchasing and consumption behaviour of halal food there a...

Background Crowdsourcing is a new tool offered mainly over the internet for obtaining ideas, content, funding by seeking contributions from a large group of people and especially from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers. Crowdsourcing is widespread in numerous food applications (e.g., technology, entrepreneurial...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to undertake a two-phase desktop review of literature sources in order to conceptualise, frame, and critique existing whistleblowing models and strategies and consider how whistleblowing strategies form part of an effective food crime management system (FCMS) especially for small and medium sized organisations....

Background Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is one of the major surgeries requiring long-term stay in hospital. This generally leads to the detrimental effects of bed-rest, including dependency in self-care, transfer, and locomotion. Our aim was to compare the effect of high-frequency and low-frequency exercise therapy in patients who ha...

The Ramadhan fast is a form of worship where Muslims spend the daylight hours in a complete fast. During the month of Ramadhan, a large number of people tend to purchase food from stalls or bazaars for breaking fast. It is crucial that the foods prepared and sold are handled in a clean and safe manner. Thus, this research focused on evaluating the...

Purpose Protein-based films have good barrier characteristics against gas compared to synthetic films, but they have poor mechanical properties and high water vapour permeability (WVP) due to their hydrophilic nature. Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is available abundantly in Southeast Asian countries and can be potentially utilized for its cellulose to i...

Purpose This paper argues that there is an absence of halal integrity within the conventional stages of a food chain. This paper adapts the understanding of the different stages and argues the need to develop a critical consciousness for halal integrity within the food chain to address the needs of the ever-growing Muslim consumers’ market. The pur...

2016),"Emerging Halal food market: an Institutional Theory of Halal certificate implementation", Management Research Review, Vol. 39 Iss 9 pp. 987-997 http://dx. Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by emerald-srm:405310 [] For Authors If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, the...

Street-vended beverages are commonly prepared by mechanical extraction of the pulp, usually unpasteurised and requires multiple handling steps. Foodborne pathogens transmitted via skin of street vendors or via faecal-oral route may contaminate the preparation surfaces and beverages. The aim of this study is to identify Escherichia spp. strains of s...

Integrating Small Farmers into Agrifood Supply Chains to Enhance their Profitability

Challenges and Opportunities for Asian Farmers Marketing their Produce

Emerging Trends in the Marketing of Agricultural Food Products

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify mechanisms for using a quantitative benchmarking approach to drive sustainability improvements in the food supply chain. Design/methodology/approach A literature review was undertaken and then a strategic and operational framework developed for improving food supply chain sustainability in terms of...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the understanding of halal concept among food production workers and to develop a generic Halal Control Point (HCP) Plan for the manufacturing of processed foods. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method (interviews, surveys and microbiological analyses) approach was used to analyze the hygiene...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the concept of strategic business resilience in order to postulate innovative mechanisms to drive business performance in the food supply chain. Design/methodology/approach – The research included a literature review and the development of a resilience model that can be adopted in the food supply...

Traditional medicinal plants have been consumed and practised by the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia for centuries. Temiar is one of the sub-ethnics under the Orang Asli (Senoi) tribe. The Temiar ethic tribe utilises indigenous plants for treatment of illnesses and general healthcare. Since the indigenous people transmit knowledge orally; their k...

Water vending machines provide an alternative source of clean and safe drinking water to the consumers. However, the quality of drinking water may alter due to contamination from lack of hygienic practices and maintenance of the machines. Hence, this study was conducted to determine the microbiological quality of water from vending machines and ass...

Muslims follow the religion of Islam and the food they eat should be Halal, meaning lawful or permissible. Muslims are allowed to eat halal and wholesome food that has been provided for them. However, some of the main prohibitions are swine flesh, blood, carrion, animals not slaughtered according to Islamic laws and alcoholic drinks. At present Hal...

Protein components in food can trigger immune-mediated response in susceptible individuals. International law requires risk assessment to be undertaken by competent individuals to minimize food safety risk to consumers. Historically, allergen control legislation has been food focused and on the requirement for on pack labeling, and the need for for...

Forests worldwide are known to be critically important habitats in terms of the biological diversity and the ecological functions to sustain the ecosystem. Forest conservation is the practice of planting and maintaining forested areas for the benefit and sustainability of future generations. The conservation of forest also stands and aims at a quic...

Foodborne Diseases: Case Studies of Outbreaks in the Agri-Food Industries defines the context of foodborne disease across a range of food sectors. It provides insight into the causes and management of outbreaks along with practical lessons about foodborne disease prevention strategies relevant to stakeholders throughout the food supply chain. Indiv...

Intentional food crime is plural in nature in terms of the types of crime and the differing levels of financial gain. Successful models of food crime are dependent on how well the crime has been executed and at what point, or even if, detection actually occurs. The aim of this paper is to undertake a literature review and critique the often contrad...

The European Horsemeat Scandal of 2013 highlighted the increasing organization and sophistication of the contemporary food criminal. This study aims to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the typology of the food criminal in terms of their modus operandi and how individuals and organized crime groups develop criminal business models and n...

Collagen was documented as a difficult and expensive protein to quantify due to its insoluble. It is particularly since solubility is a key functional property in a variety of applications such as healthcare and cosmetic products. The main aim of this study was to extract the collagens from the skins of commercial freshwater fish such as red tilapi...

This article explores the food safety practices and biosecurity measures of a Chilean salmon farm. The farm participated in detailed discussions on biosecurity and farm food safety practices and, in addition to the biosecurity measures, the following all play important roles in ensuring fish health and reduction of mortalities and outbreaks: optimu...