Ensuring the safety and reliability of foods and other products in agricultural supply chains. A case study involving vegetable oils

The growing complexity of global supply chains means that ensuring the safety and authenticity of food and non-food agricultural products is an ever-increasing challenge. This article focuses on fats, which, together with proteins and carbohydrates, make up the bulk of the human diet. Over 86% of globally consumed edible fats are plant-derived (or vegetable) oils. In contrast, animal-derived fats account for about 14% of worldwide oil and fat consumption, mostly in developed countries with higher incomes and where meat and dairy agriculture is traditional. With increasing affluence and a world population expected to reach almost ten billion by 2050, demand for fats and oils continues to accelerate. In some cases, this can lead to economically motivated malpractices such as adulteration, mislabeling or ‘unsustainable’ operations. These activities create significant challenges for global supply chains that require more rigorous auditing and greater deployment of both existing and newly emerging analytical techniques to ensure the safety and reliability of traded agricultural products.