Horse meat scandal - A wake-up call for regulatory authorities

Global incidences of food mis-description and adulteration are increasing and international food trade is disrupted by frequent disputes over food safety and quality requirements. This report attempts to present authenticity concerns and discusses the role of regulatory authorities to circumvent the issues relating to meat authenticity. Science based technological solutions to combat fraud or accidental mislabeling are discussed. Allowances for adventitious presence and religious concerns are addressed. In conclusion collective action by continuous monitoring scheme along with improved detection methodologies and stringent regulation on defaulters will certainly minimize or even eliminate authentication problems in future. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.