Have you been a victim of food fraud?

Most of us are buying and eating stuff that isn’t what it seems...

It’s called food fraud, and according to the USP, some of these rip-offs can be dangerous, especially to those with food allergies. Food fraud is deliberate substitution or tampering of food products, ingredients and misleading labeling. Some of the most common fraudulent foods are some everyday favorites, such as olive oil, fruit juices, spices and seafood. In many cases, more expensive foods are filled out or replaced with less expensive, and sometimes potentially harmful, substitutes. Here are some items to beware of:

• Pomegranate juice: Some labeled "100% pomegranate juice" may contain other fruit juices or sugar water.

• Olive oil: May be diluted with less-expensive vegetable oils.

• Spices: Powdered spices like saffron, turmeric and chili powder may be diluted or replaced with less-expensive spices or fillers.

• White tuna: The "white tuna" on your sushi menu may actually be less-expensive escolar fish, which has a high content of waxy esters that can contribute to food poisoning.

• Lemon juice, other fruit juices and jams: Foreign manufacturers sometimes sneak clouding agents into these to make them look fresh-squeezed. 

• Honey and maple syrup: High fructose corn syrup or other sugars might be snuck in to enhance sweetness.

• Coffee: Fillers can be added to ground coffees to increase their volume.

• Tea: Some inspection of loose tea has turned up grass cuttings and other plant fillers.