Food Industry Controlled By The Mafia | Organised Crime

00:52:12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvQ2Zw1muqg

Zusammenfassung

TLDRThe documentary delves into the alarming prevalence of food fraud in Europe, detailing how counterfeit food products infiltrate the market. It showcases significant scandals such as the horse meat scandal, where horse meat was found in beef products, highlighting the role of investigations involving authorities and whistleblowers. The narrative reveals that various foods, from olive oil to tuna, are often misleadingly labeled or adulterated, igniting a serious concern for consumer health and safety. Food regulators struggle with the scale of the problem, and while measures are in place, loopholes coupled with globalization facilitate these fraudulent networks. The overarching message conveys the urgent need for heightened accountability and stricter oversight in the food industry to ensure the integrity of food products we consume.

Mitbringsel

  • 🍋 Food fraud is rampant in Europe, affecting many products.
  • 💔 The horse meat scandal revealed serious lapses in food safety.
  • 🔍 Whistleblowers play a critical role in exposing food fraud.
  • 🌍 Globalization complicates the fight against food counterfeiting.
  • 📉 Major brands often mislabel their products to cut costs.
  • 🍽️ Consumers are increasingly concerned about food authenticity.
  • 🕵️‍♂️ Investigators trace fraudulent activities through financial flows.
  • ⚖️ Increased regulations are necessary to combat fraud effectively.
  • 📦 Fake products can easily enter the supply chain unnoticed.
  • 🔒 Stricter oversight of food manufacturers is crucial for safety.

Zeitleiste

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:00

    The video highlights the alarming issue of food fraud, illustrating how various food products, from meat to olive oil, can be counterfeited. It mentions the large-scale operation involving false advertising and the economic impact of food fraud, which generates billions. It sets the stage for an investigation revealing hidden practices in the food industry.

  • 00:05:00 - 00:10:00

    The documentary reveals frequent recalls of food products that go unnoticed by the public, causing distrust in food safety. A key case from Ireland showcases how DNA testing uncovered horse DNA in beef products, which sparked a global scandal and raised awareness of the prevalence of food fraud.

  • 00:10:00 - 00:15:00

    The investigation delves into a major food fraud case that distributed 4.5 million contaminated meals across Europe. Dutch authorities, aided by police, searched for the origins of horse meat disguised as beef, leading to larger networks involved in these trades.

  • 00:15:00 - 00:20:00

    The case deepens as the video introduces Yan Fen, a Dutch trader implicated in the horse meat scandal. His activities included skirting regulations and repackaging horse meat as beef, resulting in significant illegal profits through deceptive practices in multiple countries.

  • 00:20:00 - 00:25:00

    Kristoff Bru's whistleblower revelations about fraudulent practices in the food industry lead to increased scrutiny and regulatory changes in Europe. This horse meat scandal underscores the gaps in European food safety systems and the challenges of addressing food fraud.

  • 00:25:00 - 00:30:00

    The narrative shifts to a fraud case concerning Polish beef, where fraudulent practices uncovered by charities raised alarms about the quality and safety of donated meat. Investigations launched by Polish authorities reflect the ongoing challenges in food regulation and oversight.

  • 00:30:00 - 00:35:00

    Investigative journalists in Poland expose illegal practices in slaughterhouses, showing how meat unfit for consumption entered the food supply chain. The revelations prompted governmental checks but continued issues highlight systemic flaws in regulations and enforcement.

  • 00:35:00 - 00:40:00

    The focus then turns to Italy's efforts against food fraud, particularly concerning olive oil. The documentary outlines how fraud undermines the Italian culinary heritage, emphasizing the need for stringent controls to protect consumers from counterfeit products.

  • 00:40:00 - 00:45:00

    Despite Italy's proactive measures against food fraud, challenges persist in the olive oil industry. The ease with which fraudsters can manipulate labeling and blend inferior oils showcases the complexities of maintaining product authenticity in global markets.

  • 00:45:00 - 00:52:12

    The video concludes by emphasizing the ongoing threat of food fraud across Europe, highlighting how consumers unknowingly support these illicit practices. Skepticism around food safety escalates as viewers are left questioning the integrity of their food supply.

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Mind Map

Video-Fragen und Antworten

  • What is food fraud?

    Food fraud refers to the deceptive practice of mislabeling or adulterating food products to mislead consumers.

  • What are some common examples of food fraud?

    Common examples include substituting cheaper ingredients, mislabeling fish species, and using fake branding for olive oil.

  • How does food fraud affect consumers?

    Consumers may unknowingly purchase contaminated or unsafe food, leading to health risks and financial loss.

  • What measures are being taken to combat food fraud?

    Various European supervisory bodies and food fraud networks have been established to track and stop counterfeiting.

  • Why is food fraud difficult to combat?

    The food supply chain is complex, making it challenging to trace the source of fraud and enforce regulations.

  • How do regulators investigate food fraud?

    Authorities use a combination of surveillance, DNA testing, and coordination with police forces to uncover fraudulent practices.

  • What impact did the horse meat scandal have?

    The horse meat scandal led to increased scrutiny of food processing practices across Europe and prompted changes in food safety regulations.

  • What role do whistleblowers play in exposing food fraud?

    Whistleblowers provide crucial information that can reveal hidden practices within food production and processing.

  • How prevalent is food fraud in Europe?

    Food fraud is widespread across Europe, affecting a variety of products and undermining consumer trust.

  • What can consumers do to protect themselves from food fraud?

    Consumers can educate themselves about food sourcing, certification, and remain vigilant about product labeling.

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Untertitel
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Automatisches Blättern:
  • 00:00:01
    [Music]
  • 00:00:10
    do we really know what's in our food
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    lasagna with h meat artificial
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    [Music]
  • 00:00:18
    steaks falsely advertised olive oil
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    tuner with nitrates the list of
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    counterfeit food products is endless
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    everything can be faked from the most
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    basic product to expensive
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    [Music]
  • 00:00:38
    ingredients it's a trade of tens of
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    billions of Euros that runs quietly
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    across our borders to dive into food
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    fraud is to embark on a journey into an
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    unknown
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    land whistleblowers and Factory workers
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    kept in the dark will reveal Hidden
  • 00:00:59
    Truths
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    courageous journalists and persistent
  • 00:01:04
    prosecutors will help us understand what
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    goes on behind the
  • 00:01:13
    scenes the fight is on against this
  • 00:01:15
    serious crime that involves everyone
  • 00:01:17
    from criminals to Mafia leaders the
  • 00:01:20
    outcome is uncertain as these
  • 00:01:22
    traffickers operate within a gigantic
  • 00:01:24
    Market through which all our food
  • 00:01:27
    transits how did they manage to gain
  • 00:01:29
    control over our food L hidden
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    scandalous practices are going to be
  • 00:01:35
    revealed an unprecedented investigation
  • 00:01:38
    into the world of food fraud
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    [Music]
  • 00:01:55
    [Music]
  • 00:02:03
    food products are recalled from
  • 00:02:05
    Supermarket shelves on a regular basis
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    most of the time we don't even notice
  • 00:02:10
    [Music]
  • 00:02:20
    it yet it makes us doubt our food to
  • 00:02:23
    which we devote a large part of our
  • 00:02:24
    lives and which is as essential as the
  • 00:02:27
    air we breathe
  • 00:02:37
    [Music]
  • 00:02:39
    sometimes the contents can be
  • 00:02:43
    [Music]
  • 00:02:48
    misleading it is late 2012 in Ireland
  • 00:02:52
    the director of food supervision notices
  • 00:02:54
    that the price of beef has dropped he
  • 00:02:57
    orders DNA sampling of meat from 2017
  • 00:03:00
    commercially sold
  • 00:03:03
    Burgers we found one product with about
  • 00:03:06
    one3 horse DNA in us and which was just
  • 00:03:10
    an incredible
  • 00:03:12
    finding we went back and checked we
  • 00:03:14
    double checked and we travel check
  • 00:03:16
    because we understood that if we were to
  • 00:03:20
    go out public with such a story it was
  • 00:03:22
    going to have you know quite an
  • 00:03:25
    effect it started out as hamburger then
  • 00:03:28
    lasagna then m and
  • 00:03:30
    ravioli prevention tests in the spring
  • 00:03:33
    of 2013 revealed horse meat in products
  • 00:03:37
    where it was not
  • 00:03:39
    [Music]
  • 00:03:41
    expected at the time we thought it was
  • 00:03:43
    an Irish problem turned out to be a
  • 00:03:45
    global problem and products have been
  • 00:03:48
    withdrawn from shelves in places like
  • 00:03:49
    Singapore Hong Kong in some of the
  • 00:03:52
    Caribbean countries uh so really we we
  • 00:03:54
    are looking at what's really has
  • 00:03:56
    developed into a massive problem
  • 00:04:02
    it was a fraud in the world of minced
  • 00:04:04
    meat products the most common meat
  • 00:04:07
    product especially in ready-made
  • 00:04:10
    meals this Scandal could have gone
  • 00:04:12
    unnoticed like many others but the Irish
  • 00:04:15
    authorities have made this public and
  • 00:04:17
    their Revelations have raised an
  • 00:04:19
    unprecedented wave of
  • 00:04:28
    outrage ingred kagle started her career
  • 00:04:31
    as an investigator on this case she is a
  • 00:04:34
    member of food watch a European
  • 00:04:36
    organization that protects consumers
  • 00:05:03
    this ingredient replacement involved 4.5
  • 00:05:06
    million ready to eat meals distributed
  • 00:05:09
    by the biggest brands throughout Europe
  • 00:05:12
    who was able to set up such an operation
  • 00:05:15
    a large scale investigation was launched
  • 00:05:17
    a number of Clues led to the Netherlands
  • 00:05:20
    and mobilized the Dutch fraud police
  • 00:05:24
    [Music]
  • 00:05:31
    where is the source of this that was the
  • 00:05:33
    big question who put the the horse meat
  • 00:05:36
    inside the beef
  • 00:05:38
    products Karen gusau is the head of a
  • 00:05:41
    department that has the same
  • 00:05:43
    investigative power as a Narcotics Squad
  • 00:05:46
    17 detectives and financial analysts are
  • 00:05:49
    in charge of tracking down
  • 00:05:53
    fraudsters the main thing that we do
  • 00:05:55
    when we carry out criminal
  • 00:05:57
    investigations uh is to rec construct
  • 00:06:00
    the money flow and the flow of goods and
  • 00:06:03
    connect these
  • 00:06:05
    together the Dutch police investigated
  • 00:06:08
    the Obscure networks of minced meat they
  • 00:06:11
    first identified the manufacturers who
  • 00:06:13
    make beef recipes Behind These
  • 00:06:15
    manufacturers they found several
  • 00:06:18
    wholesalers these wholesalers worked
  • 00:06:20
    with Traders Market Specialists who buy
  • 00:06:23
    and sell online in quantities of
  • 00:06:26
    hundreds of thousands of tons
  • 00:06:31
    [Music]
  • 00:06:50
    the police identified a Dutch meat
  • 00:06:52
    Trader Yan
  • 00:06:55
    Fen so Yan fast is actually someone
  • 00:06:58
    we've known for a long time he first
  • 00:07:00
    caught our attention in
  • 00:07:02
    2008 um when we arrested him exactly
  • 00:07:06
    because of this fact so we were hoping
  • 00:07:08
    uh that would scare him off but then in
  • 00:07:10
    thir
  • 00:07:12
    2013 we discovered that he hadn't
  • 00:07:16
    stopped to cover his tracks Yan Fen
  • 00:07:19
    moved to Belgium where he teamed up with
  • 00:07:21
    among others the owner of this Warehouse
  • 00:07:24
    here they stored Frozen horse meat which
  • 00:07:27
    was half the price of beef two per kilo
  • 00:07:30
    instead of four his profits were
  • 00:07:33
    estimated at 20 million EUR per
  • 00:07:36
    year Yan Fen had to hire an office space
  • 00:07:40
    in a big freezer complex he had an
  • 00:07:43
    employee that was changing labels daily
  • 00:07:46
    he had businesses in in Cyprus and in
  • 00:07:49
    other countries he made a whole business
  • 00:07:51
    of it it was his daily work that doesn't
  • 00:07:54
    sound easy to
  • 00:07:55
    me Yan Fen was the head of a huge
  • 00:07:58
    Network his company was registered in
  • 00:08:01
    Cyprus and imported horse meat from
  • 00:08:03
    Canada and Romania this meat was then
  • 00:08:06
    sold to his associate wholesalers the
  • 00:08:09
    two main ones were located in Belgium
  • 00:08:11
    and France it was at these companies
  • 00:08:13
    that the fraud took place the horse meat
  • 00:08:16
    was transformed into beef by the magic
  • 00:08:18
    of a label the wholesalers sent the fake
  • 00:08:21
    minced meat to Luxembourg to a
  • 00:08:24
    manufacturer of ready-made meals these
  • 00:08:26
    fake products were distributed to
  • 00:08:28
    hundreds of
  • 00:08:30
    [Music]
  • 00:08:55
    supermarkets this Collective misconduct
  • 00:08:58
    has angered a man who is at the heart of
  • 00:09:00
    this
  • 00:09:02
    industry Kristoff brus had been working
  • 00:09:04
    for 20 years as a Trader in major food
  • 00:09:07
    processing groups
  • 00:09:31
    Kristoff brus has decided to break the
  • 00:09:33
    silence as he himself has committed
  • 00:09:36
    fraud
  • 00:10:04
    in 2013 a whistleblower exposed
  • 00:10:07
    widespread fraudulent practices in the
  • 00:10:09
    food processing industry
  • 00:10:31
    Kristoff Bru's findings did not provoke
  • 00:10:33
    the sort of reaction he was expecting
  • 00:10:35
    among the
  • 00:10:36
    manufacturers however his outrage and
  • 00:10:39
    that of millions of European citizens
  • 00:10:41
    has forced the European authorities to
  • 00:10:50
    act it is here in Brussels that the
  • 00:10:53
    major rules concerning food are written
  • 00:10:55
    up it is then up to the individual
  • 00:10:58
    states to implement them
  • 00:11:00
    for Eric Marin an official at the
  • 00:11:02
    European commission the horse meat
  • 00:11:04
    scandal known as horse gate was a
  • 00:11:07
    turning
  • 00:11:13
    point Eric Marine was proud of the
  • 00:11:16
    European health surveillance system he
  • 00:11:18
    discovered that Europe is not well
  • 00:11:20
    equipped to deal with this new problem
  • 00:11:22
    that is affecting our food
  • 00:11:58
    fr
  • 00:12:00
    the food fraud network was created for
  • 00:12:02
    this European officials struggle all
  • 00:12:04
    year long to detect and trap down
  • 00:12:06
    counterfeit food products all accidental
  • 00:12:09
    modifications are dismissed only cases
  • 00:12:12
    of intentional manipulation are
  • 00:12:14
    investigated an African swine fever
  • 00:12:22
    [Music]
  • 00:12:25
    area the Dutch authorities are
  • 00:12:28
    requesting
  • 00:12:45
    for this to happen the 27 European
  • 00:12:47
    states must be flawlessly compliant this
  • 00:12:50
    is not always the case as demonstrated
  • 00:12:53
    by a recent case involving beef it
  • 00:12:55
    happened in
  • 00:12:56
    2019 6 years after horse
  • 00:13:00
    [Music]
  • 00:13:06
    G the Scandal was serious and France was
  • 00:13:09
    at the heart of it this time the fraud
  • 00:13:12
    concerned a public order for 1,500 tons
  • 00:13:15
    of minced Stakes intended to distribute
  • 00:13:18
    to Charities these Charities raised the
  • 00:13:21
    alarm when they discovered the whitish
  • 00:13:24
    color of these Stakes originating from
  • 00:13:26
    Poland why did the French government
  • 00:13:28
    choose po polish suppliers
  • 00:13:32
    [Music]
  • 00:14:00
    European buyers have become fixated on
  • 00:14:03
    polish beef suppliers are undercutting
  • 00:14:06
    prices partially due to highly
  • 00:14:07
    competitive labor costs Poland has
  • 00:14:10
    become one of the world's leading meat
  • 00:14:13
    producers a business that in 2017 was
  • 00:14:17
    worth almost €6 billion e
  • 00:14:40
    the Charities had the Polish Stakes
  • 00:14:42
    delivered to them
  • 00:14:44
    analyzed the results confirmed all their
  • 00:14:47
    suspicions
  • 00:14:50
    [Music]
  • 00:14:54
    [Applause]
  • 00:15:00
    [Music]
  • 00:15:28
    beef has been replaced with
  • 00:15:30
    byproducts the substitution is all the
  • 00:15:33
    more shocking since the stakes were
  • 00:15:35
    intended for people in
  • 00:15:37
    need but how do you find out who is
  • 00:15:40
    responsible the European food fraud
  • 00:15:42
    network has no investigative power
  • 00:16:00
    so it is the Polish government that has
  • 00:16:02
    to take
  • 00:16:06
    over the Polish Veterinary authorities
  • 00:16:08
    are launching a series of controls aimed
  • 00:16:10
    at the manufacturer the company bski it
  • 00:16:14
    is one of the new Giants of beef
  • 00:16:17
    production it is subjected to the same
  • 00:16:20
    regulatory obligations as in the rest of
  • 00:16:22
    Europe
  • 00:16:24
    [Music]
  • 00:16:52
    in conclusion there is nothing to
  • 00:16:54
    investigate here we tried to question
  • 00:16:56
    the Polish company's managers but we
  • 00:16:58
    were rejected several
  • 00:17:06
    times meanwhile there is another case
  • 00:17:09
    which two polish journalists have been
  • 00:17:11
    working on for the past 6 months it will
  • 00:17:14
    raise suspicions about the country's
  • 00:17:16
    entire beef
  • 00:17:21
    industry one of them Patrick sapak
  • 00:17:24
    managed to get himself hired in a small
  • 00:17:26
    Countryside slaughter house
  • 00:17:29
    we got a tip that there's some illegal
  • 00:17:31
    procedure happening in one of the
  • 00:17:33
    slaughter houses we knew before that
  • 00:17:36
    there are similar procedure ongoing in
  • 00:17:39
    other solder house but this one we knew
  • 00:17:41
    exactly that this is going
  • 00:17:48
    on the other house itself is in the
  • 00:17:51
    middle of nowhere so there is no
  • 00:17:52
    possibility to take a look without
  • 00:17:54
    getting anyone's attention
  • 00:18:03
    so I changed some of appearance changed
  • 00:18:05
    some of my behavior and went for a job
  • 00:18:07
    interview to the soter house it might
  • 00:18:10
    sound ridiculous but I got the
  • 00:18:12
    job and then the next day I started to
  • 00:18:15
    work as a
  • 00:18:20
    [Music]
  • 00:18:23
    slaughterman the first trucks of cows
  • 00:18:27
    sick or dead ones were coming out
  • 00:18:30
    out like few of them have some rottening
  • 00:18:32
    parts few of them like you know they
  • 00:18:34
    have some white thing going out from
  • 00:18:37
    them through their
  • 00:18:39
    mouth and there was no vet of course
  • 00:18:42
    nearby he just came up in early in the
  • 00:18:44
    morning to check out heads of cows not
  • 00:18:46
    the meat he behaved like the this this
  • 00:18:50
    Bine meat magically pop out in the
  • 00:18:53
    middle of a night and he just comes
  • 00:18:54
    there and I don't see
  • 00:18:57
    anything broadcasted on television their
  • 00:19:00
    investigation triggered a political
  • 00:19:08
    crisis the journalists showed that other
  • 00:19:11
    slaughter houses in the country have the
  • 00:19:13
    same practices they bought cows for meat
  • 00:19:16
    processing at low prices and sold the
  • 00:19:18
    meat at full
  • 00:19:23
    price it got a big effect and then our
  • 00:19:26
    Ministry of Agriculture had to take some
  • 00:19:28
    action
  • 00:19:30
    they ordered massive checkups in every
  • 00:19:32
    single slaughter house in Poland which
  • 00:19:34
    like 400 of
  • 00:19:36
    them but the one who's being expected
  • 00:19:39
    knows about it like in a week in advance
  • 00:19:43
    so there's no surprise
  • 00:19:48
    effect I talked with several former
  • 00:19:51
    Ministers of agricultures and depues
  • 00:19:53
    which told me um that this thing this
  • 00:19:57
    Scandal like everybody knew about that
  • 00:19:59
    is going on but it was convenient to
  • 00:20:00
    basically leave it on and work it
  • 00:20:03
    because it's pure profit
  • 00:20:06
    right meat not fit for consumption
  • 00:20:10
    entered the food chain through a weak
  • 00:20:11
    link the slaughter houses then it spread
  • 00:20:14
    through the entire marketing
  • 00:20:18
    Network the meat from this slaughter
  • 00:20:21
    house where I work was founded in like
  • 00:20:23
    14 countries France Germany Czech
  • 00:20:26
    Republic Saudi Arabia
  • 00:20:31
    the fraud caused a diplomatic crisis at
  • 00:20:34
    the European level inspectors sent by
  • 00:20:36
    Brussels then audited the entire polish
  • 00:20:39
    beef industry their report confirmed
  • 00:20:42
    numerous shortcomings in sanitary
  • 00:20:44
    procedures and traceability
  • 00:20:46
    [Music]
  • 00:21:03
    the state didn't really change the law
  • 00:21:05
    so it's still happening somewhere over
  • 00:21:09
    right how can one effectively fight
  • 00:21:11
    against food fraud when the state
  • 00:21:13
    doesn't even take action
  • 00:21:38
    one country Prides itself on being at
  • 00:21:40
    the Forefront of the fight against fraud
  • 00:21:47
    [Music]
  • 00:21:48
    Italy they are the first country in
  • 00:21:51
    Europe to have put in place detection
  • 00:21:53
    measures yet it is overwhelmed by fraud
  • 00:22:00
    the challenge is in keeping with the
  • 00:22:02
    success of Italian cuisine and the
  • 00:22:04
    worldwide appeal of each of its
  • 00:22:27
    products Vio viaro is one of the few
  • 00:22:30
    Italian magistrates specialized in
  • 00:22:32
    criminal cases involving food
  • 00:22:58
    food fraud affects all Italian
  • 00:23:03
    [Music]
  • 00:23:07
    products how can the Italian authorities
  • 00:23:09
    stop
  • 00:23:11
    [Music]
  • 00:23:15
    it a special unit has been created to
  • 00:23:18
    save the National gastronomic Heritage
  • 00:23:21
    its efforts are focused on one food
  • 00:23:23
    product in particular nine out of 10
  • 00:23:26
    Italians consume it and the demand is
  • 00:23:28
    growing
  • 00:23:29
    rapidly Italian extra virgin olive oil
  • 00:23:32
    is number one on the World Market this
  • 00:23:35
    gem brings in 1.2 billion EUR each year
  • 00:23:39
    for the Italian
  • 00:23:44
    [Music]
  • 00:23:52
    State counterfeits borrow the names of
  • 00:23:55
    real companies to Market their fake
  • 00:23:57
    products
  • 00:23:59
    Italian controllers have the means to
  • 00:24:01
    demand that online sales platforms
  • 00:24:04
    immediately take down fraudulent
  • 00:24:26
    ads to assess the effectiven of this
  • 00:24:28
    system we must dive into the industry
  • 00:24:31
    starting with the olive trees Italy is a
  • 00:24:34
    land of traditional production and one
  • 00:24:36
    region is more so than any other
  • 00:24:40
    Tuscany in the village where Leonardo da
  • 00:24:42
    Vinci was born Luigi carries on the
  • 00:24:45
    tradition of Italian extra virgin olive
  • 00:24:48
    oil he is experiencing a dramatic drop
  • 00:24:51
    in profits
  • 00:25:15
    global warming and the abundance of
  • 00:25:17
    insects are putting a strain on national
  • 00:25:19
    production and yet Luigi notes that big
  • 00:25:22
    Brands Supply the supermarkets of Italy
  • 00:25:25
    and Europe all year long with extra
  • 00:25:27
    virgin olive oil sold at knockdown
  • 00:25:29
    prices
  • 00:26:04
    in order to supply the World Market
  • 00:26:06
    these big manufacturers don't Harvest
  • 00:26:09
    press or produce on site unlike
  • 00:26:14
    [Music]
  • 00:26:17
    Luigi they gather produce and add
  • 00:26:19
    fragrance and their oil is then the
  • 00:26:22
    result of complex blending which
  • 00:26:24
    includes a large portion of imported oil
  • 00:26:31
    this is how the fraud
  • 00:26:39
    Begins the port of leono is the main
  • 00:26:41
    unloading point for goods in
  • 00:26:44
    Tuscany a special system set up by the
  • 00:26:47
    Italian fraud control authorities is in
  • 00:26:49
    place here every day a ship unloads its
  • 00:26:53
    cargo of extra virgin olive oil
  • 00:26:56
    manufacturers bring in the precious
  • 00:26:58
    liquid from all over the Mediterranean
  • 00:27:05
    [Music]
  • 00:27:17
    Bas these Imports will be mixed with the
  • 00:27:20
    national production and sold as Italian
  • 00:27:23
    extra virgin olive oil this is legal
  • 00:27:26
    under one condition that all the
  • 00:27:28
    criteria for extra virgin olive oil be
  • 00:27:39
    met Italian inspectors are looking for
  • 00:27:42
    imported foreign oil of poor quality too
  • 00:27:45
    acidic or not fruity
  • 00:27:50
    enough imitation is easy and if it is
  • 00:27:54
    discovered the oil is simply registered
  • 00:27:56
    in a lower category stating that an
  • 00:27:59
    error has crept into the documents
  • 00:28:29
    random checks at the Port are of very
  • 00:28:31
    little Effectiveness this is why the
  • 00:28:33
    fraud control agents have concentrated
  • 00:28:35
    their efforts on another stage of the
  • 00:28:37
    production
  • 00:28:38
    chain a few kilometers away a producer
  • 00:28:42
    agreed to let us watch how this European
  • 00:28:44
    unique surveillance system
  • 00:28:50
    works per
  • 00:28:59
    a computer program allows the
  • 00:29:01
    controllers to follow in real time all
  • 00:29:03
    the producers of extra virgin olive oil
  • 00:29:05
    each delivery must be
  • 00:29:25
    declared before launching an
  • 00:29:27
    investigation the inspector knows
  • 00:29:29
    exactly what he needs to find in the
  • 00:29:30
    tanks the quantity the oil that is
  • 00:29:33
    produced on site the oil that is
  • 00:29:36
    imported everything must be recorded by
  • 00:29:38
    the
  • 00:29:42
    producer this meticulous control is
  • 00:29:45
    equivalent to putting the entire
  • 00:29:46
    production of Italian olive oil under
  • 00:29:49
    administrative supervision
  • 00:29:58
    okay while everything seems to be in
  • 00:29:59
    order with this producer random samples
  • 00:30:02
    will be taken and sent for analysis this
  • 00:30:04
    is the only way to ensure the
  • 00:30:06
    authenticity of the extra virgin olive
  • 00:30:22
    oil is there a double standard between
  • 00:30:25
    small manufacturers and large ones
  • 00:30:28
    it is rumored among producers that the
  • 00:30:30
    Italian authorities tend to spare the
  • 00:30:32
    major producers of the market all the
  • 00:30:35
    while the quality of their oil is
  • 00:30:37
    regularly called into question by
  • 00:30:39
    independent bodies in May
  • 00:30:42
    2021 the consumer protection magazine
  • 00:30:45
    salvagente tested 15 bottles of oil from
  • 00:30:48
    Major
  • 00:30:49
    Brands they were sent to public
  • 00:30:51
    Laboratories for analysis the result was
  • 00:30:54
    that s out of 15 bottles were not extra
  • 00:30:57
    virgin
  • 00:31:01
    [Music]
  • 00:31:24
    it almost seems like encouragement for
  • 00:31:26
    criminals
  • 00:31:36
    further south in pulia lies the largest
  • 00:31:39
    area of intensive olive oil
  • 00:31:43
    production it's here that traffickers
  • 00:31:45
    have developed one of the most daring
  • 00:31:46
    cases of food fraud in recent years
  • 00:31:49
    ludovico vakaro came across them by
  • 00:31:52
    chance their code name is Operation
  • 00:31:55
    yellow
  • 00:31:56
    gold for
  • 00:32:19
    [Music]
  • 00:32:28
    sent for analysis by the investigators
  • 00:32:31
    these bottles turned out to contain rape
  • 00:32:33
    seed oil at this stage ludico viaro does
  • 00:32:36
    not yet realize the size of the traffic
  • 00:32:39
    [Music]
  • 00:33:27
    these are methods comparable to those
  • 00:33:28
    used against the mafia in this case it
  • 00:33:31
    was an entire clandestine organization
  • 00:33:34
    made up of 34 people
  • 00:33:44
    [Music]
  • 00:34:14
    a perfectly structured Network which
  • 00:34:16
    bypassed the Italian food surveillance
  • 00:34:18
    system the Transporters imported rape
  • 00:34:21
    seed oil most often from Turkey from the
  • 00:34:24
    nearest Port anona usually it was out of
  • 00:34:28
    dat the network leader directed the
  • 00:34:30
    transformation of the rape seed oil into
  • 00:34:32
    fake olive oil in the clandestine
  • 00:34:36
    Workshop the resellers then took charge
  • 00:34:39
    of it and traveled the roads to sell it
  • 00:34:41
    to Italian Swiss and German
  • 00:34:45
    restaurants some of them were renowned
  • 00:34:47
    and even visited by the German
  • 00:34:49
    Chancellor or the Italian
  • 00:34:56
    president for
  • 00:35:37
    within the network the traffickers are
  • 00:35:39
    feeling lucky counterfeiting olive oil
  • 00:35:43
    is easy and makes a lot of money
  • 00:36:12
    comp
  • 00:36:29
    [Music]
  • 00:36:30
    in two years the fraudsters have cashed
  • 00:36:32
    in7 million
  • 00:36:47
    e impunity seems to Prevail in food
  • 00:36:50
    fraud cases the criminal sanctions
  • 00:36:53
    incurred by traffickers indicted in
  • 00:36:55
    these cases are not deterring enough
  • 00:36:57
    [Music]
  • 00:37:05
    [Music]
  • 00:37:24
    it's not surprising then that Italian
  • 00:37:26
    mafas have turned their attention to
  • 00:37:28
    these new types of trafficking now
  • 00:37:31
    anti-ia brigades are discovering food
  • 00:37:33
    counterfeits among other illegal
  • 00:37:36
    Commodities such as Weapons or drugs in
  • 00:37:39
    2017 during the arrest of one of the
  • 00:37:42
    most powerful street gangs in Calabria
  • 00:37:45
    Italian police officers uncovered a fake
  • 00:37:47
    olive oil made from industrial
  • 00:37:49
    lubricants that was being exported to
  • 00:37:51
    the United States
  • 00:38:14
    the mafia has infiltrated wholesale
  • 00:38:16
    markets Supermarket chains and large
  • 00:38:19
    European companies how far does their
  • 00:38:22
    influence
  • 00:38:25
    reach all just
  • 00:38:47
    the food processing industry and the
  • 00:38:49
    billions that it generates has an
  • 00:38:51
    irresistible attraction for traffickers
  • 00:38:53
    of all kinds we probably only know the
  • 00:38:56
    tip of the iceberg of this Hidden
  • 00:38:59
    World it is partially because more and
  • 00:39:01
    more of our food comes from other
  • 00:39:04
    continents under the effects of
  • 00:39:06
    globalization all Food Industries are
  • 00:39:08
    bringing in ever increasing amounts of
  • 00:39:10
    food at increasingly competitive prices
  • 00:39:24
    [Music]
  • 00:39:41
    one food in particular is subject to
  • 00:39:44
    international trafficking it is
  • 00:39:46
    synonymous with health food yet it is
  • 00:39:48
    one of the most counterfeited the
  • 00:39:50
    control of fraudsters has increased
  • 00:39:53
    since fish is no longer caught in
  • 00:39:55
    coastal areas but in distant Seas
  • 00:40:01
    tuna in particular has sparked the
  • 00:40:03
    interest of
  • 00:40:11
    frauders to meet the growing demand for
  • 00:40:13
    raw tuna consumption a very specific
  • 00:40:16
    Market held by 200 Seafood professionals
  • 00:40:19
    has been established in Europe this fish
  • 00:40:22
    is caught in the Pacific or Indian Ocean
  • 00:40:25
    then quickly Frozen at -8° de its red
  • 00:40:29
    meat has high value and is expensive the
  • 00:40:32
    arrival of raw tuna at low prices raised
  • 00:40:35
    the alarm in
  • 00:40:37
    2015 a dozen manufacturers including
  • 00:40:40
    French German and Italian realized that
  • 00:40:43
    their business was at
  • 00:40:50
    risk one of them agreed to testify
  • 00:40:53
    although with his face
  • 00:40:55
    hidden a professional
  • 00:41:05
    these Seafood manufacturers secretly
  • 00:41:07
    conducted their own investigation
  • 00:41:39
    these are illegal practices from
  • 00:41:41
    Indonesia Vietnam and China gorging fish
  • 00:41:45
    with water in this way increases their
  • 00:41:47
    weight and makes them more expensive a
  • 00:41:50
    widespread fraud technique however there
  • 00:41:53
    is something much more serious in the
  • 00:41:55
    case of tuna
  • 00:42:09
    [Music]
  • 00:42:14
    they filmed this discovery secretly
  • 00:42:16
    during a visit to a Spanish
  • 00:42:18
    competitor that day they noticed the
  • 00:42:20
    presence of strange Machinery through
  • 00:42:23
    which the brown tuna loins were passing
  • 00:42:26
    butcher are allowed to use them they are
  • 00:42:29
    used to inject nitrates a preservative
  • 00:42:32
    that gives the hams their brightness and
  • 00:42:34
    pink color their use however is becoming
  • 00:42:37
    more and more
  • 00:42:38
    controversial immediately the
  • 00:42:40
    manufacturers understood that their
  • 00:42:42
    competitors had found a trick to turn
  • 00:42:44
    the tuner red
  • 00:42:47
    [Music]
  • 00:43:09
    [Music]
  • 00:43:15
    [Music]
  • 00:43:17
    we replicated this chemical
  • 00:43:19
    transformation in the laboratory the
  • 00:43:21
    injection of nitrates will allow the
  • 00:43:23
    oxidized meat to regain its color within
  • 00:43:26
    a few hours
  • 00:43:27
    this recolored tuner which can be
  • 00:43:30
    mistaken for fresh tuner is likely to
  • 00:43:32
    cause intoxication and allergic
  • 00:43:37
    [Music]
  • 00:43:53
    shock the dissident Industry Group
  • 00:43:56
    driven by fear of Scandal decided to lay
  • 00:43:58
    everything out on the
  • 00:44:20
    table comp
  • 00:44:32
    in 2016 a Spanish police search
  • 00:44:36
    discovered that the whistleblowers were
  • 00:44:37
    not wrong here is tuna caught in El
  • 00:44:40
    Salvador and Panama the brown flesh
  • 00:44:43
    indicates that they should no longer be
  • 00:44:45
    eaten raw we will also find the
  • 00:44:48
    injection machines and high doses of
  • 00:44:50
    nitrates despite all this evidence the
  • 00:44:53
    incriminated Spanish manufacturers tried
  • 00:44:56
    to defend themselves
  • 00:45:00
    IND
  • 00:45:18
    [Music]
  • 00:45:28
    despite this the fraud continued in
  • 00:45:31
    2017 there were 454 cases of poisoning
  • 00:45:34
    in Europe due to tuna spiked with
  • 00:45:37
    nitrates this is a dangerous health
  • 00:45:39
    hazard and the European commission had
  • 00:45:41
    to react
  • 00:46:08
    europol is the European crime fighting
  • 00:46:11
    organization they mobilize the police
  • 00:46:13
    force of 11 different countries this
  • 00:46:16
    operation shut down one of the largest
  • 00:46:18
    food trafficking operations in
  • 00:46:20
    2018 the result was a record 131 tons of
  • 00:46:25
    seized tuna
  • 00:46:37
    this is one of the most important
  • 00:46:38
    trafficking operations that has been
  • 00:46:40
    shut down to date 79 criminals were
  • 00:46:43
    arrested throughout Europe in several
  • 00:46:45
    illegal workshops notably in Spain but
  • 00:46:48
    also in France Italy and Malta thanks to
  • 00:46:51
    the monitoring of the network the
  • 00:46:53
    investigators learned that the
  • 00:46:55
    quantities of nitrates used had the
  • 00:46:57
    frauders complaining of severe itching
  • 00:47:00
    the frauders managed to make up to 12
  • 00:47:02
    million EUR in profit per
  • 00:47:05
    [Music]
  • 00:47:12
    year it is an incredibly lucrative fraud
  • 00:47:15
    that has not ended with the impressive
  • 00:47:17
    takedown of the network despite the
  • 00:47:19
    increased controls throughout Europe
  • 00:47:22
    tuna spiked with various chemicals are
  • 00:47:24
    still seized on a regular basis
  • 00:47:31
    these four cases are about uh product
  • 00:47:35
    produced in Vietnam within the food
  • 00:47:38
    fraud Network European officials are
  • 00:47:40
    experiencing an increased number of
  • 00:47:42
    alerts on potential frauds year after
  • 00:47:45
    year they now affect all food products
  • 00:48:01
    how do you deal with such a tidal wave
  • 00:48:04
    fraudsters enjoy all the facilities
  • 00:48:06
    offered by a world where the free
  • 00:48:08
    movement of goods is
  • 00:48:14
    [Music]
  • 00:48:16
    key throughout the supply chain the
  • 00:48:18
    responsibilities that manufacturers have
  • 00:48:21
    are therefore immense
  • 00:48:23
    [Music]
  • 00:48:27
    importers Traders processors wholesalers
  • 00:48:31
    legally these are the guarantors of the
  • 00:48:33
    authenticity of what we eat to do this
  • 00:48:37
    they perform thousands of tests each
  • 00:48:39
    year called self checks although it's
  • 00:48:42
    impossible to know how many frauds are
  • 00:48:44
    detected this way the results of these
  • 00:48:46
    self checks are kept in the dark
  • 00:48:49
    [Music]
  • 00:49:09
    only frauds dangerous to health must be
  • 00:49:11
    disclosed to the authorities the others
  • 00:49:14
    which are more numerous depend on the
  • 00:49:16
    Goodwill of the manufacturers
  • 00:49:17
    [Music]
  • 00:49:26
    IND
  • 00:49:58
    this impunity extends to the
  • 00:50:00
    representatives of large distribution
  • 00:50:02
    chains they too have a legal obligation
  • 00:50:05
    to put food on the shelves that is what
  • 00:50:07
    it claims to be however they are almost
  • 00:50:10
    never prosecuted in cases of food fraud
  • 00:50:14
    [Music]
  • 00:50:46
    at the end of our journey into the heart
  • 00:50:48
    of fraud we can no longer look at our
  • 00:50:50
    food in the same way how many of these
  • 00:50:53
    products are counterfeit without anyone
  • 00:50:55
    noticing how many how many fraudsters
  • 00:50:57
    are we funding with our globalized food
  • 00:50:59
    consumption patterns no one is aware of
  • 00:51:02
    the extent of the fraud and yet a
  • 00:51:04
    widespread concern is
  • 00:51:08
    [Music]
  • 00:51:16
    spreading consumers are increasingly
  • 00:51:19
    concerned about the effects of food on
  • 00:51:21
    their health by targeting our food
  • 00:51:24
    criminals and professional frauders
  • 00:51:27
    are making us feel increasingly worried
  • 00:51:29
    about what is really on our plates
  • 00:51:34
    [Music]
  • 00:51:39
    [Music]
Tags
  • food fraud
  • horse meat scandal
  • olive oil
  • tuna
  • food safety
  • whistleblowers
  • European regulations
  • consumer protection
  • food authenticity
  • investigation