The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recently highlighted concerns regarding excessive wood content in shredded cheese. This issue stems from the common practice of adding cellulose, a wood-derived ingredient, to prevent cheese from clumping. However, testing revealed that only 55% of shredded cheese products in Canada comply with regulatory standards.
Concerns Over Excess Cellulose in Cheese
Cellulose is often used as a filler in cheese production. The CFIA’s annual report on food fraud, covering the period from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, condemned the excessive use of cellulose as fraudulent. This practice compromises consumer trust and financial interests, as consumers pay the price for added fillers instead of genuine cheese.
Testing and Compliance Results
The CFIA conducts targeted tests to monitor food fraud. Shredded cheese yielded the lowest compliance rating among all food categories assessed. The agency’s study involved 323 samples from various food items, including
- Coconut water (with a compliance rate of 79%)
- Fresh meat (100% compliance)
- Sunflower oil (100% compliance)
- Tea (99% compliance)
- Spices (16% non-compliance)
Despite the overall low compliance rate for shredded cheese, the CFIA noted that fresh meat and sunflower oil maintained perfect scores. Spices, however, remained a concern due to their susceptibility to adulteration.
Broader Food Fraud Trends
The report underlined olive oil as another product frequently adulterated, with 24% of samples not meeting compliance standards. Additionally, honey and fish samples showed compliance rates of 88% and 92%, respectively. The results from the previous year indicated that 68% of shredded cheese samples were compliant, while olive oil had a compliance rate of 83%.
Investigative Methods and Consumer Awareness
CFIA employs DNA testing in certain cases to ensure species accuracy in products like meat and fish. They also monitor labels to ensure compliance, discovering that only one out of 46 organic product labels was problematic. As the prevalence of food fraud remains a concern, the agency continues to explore new areas of vulnerability, including the cutting of pomegranate juice with cheaper alternatives.
The Canadian public is becoming increasingly aware of food fraud issues. According to the CIRANO Barometer on risk perception, 28% of Quebec residents view food fraud as a significant risk, although this figure has slightly decreased from 32% in 2022.
In total, the CFIA examined 1,035 food products, emphasizing the commitment to ensuring consumer safety and preventing fraudulent practices within the food industry.
