Unveiling ginger fraud: Key supply chain and business characteristics, and insights from spectroscopic and spectrometric analyses

Summary

Food fraud in low-priced, high-traded volume spices is often overlooked, despite its potential risks to consumer safety and interests. This thesis systematically investigated the underlying mechanisms of food fraud in such spices, using ginger as a case study. Through both empirical and theoretical food fraud vulnerability assessments, key supply chain and business characteristics influencing fraud risks were identified, along with critical products, actor groups, and high-risk locations. To further explore the relationship between product properties and fraud detection techniques, the impact of ginger powder’s particle size on spectroscopic analyses was examined. Additionally, metabolomics analysis was conducted to identify potential sources of spectral variations. By using ginger powder and its particle size as a starting point, this research enhances our understanding of fraud risks in low-cost, high-volume spices and offers insights for improving authentication techniques, thereby contributing to the integrity of the global spice trade.