In 2013, thousands of consumers in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland bought, prepared—and ate—beef lasagna, hamburgers, and frozen dinners. What they didn’t know is what they were actually putting in their mouths.

Although a burger is only required by law in that region to contain 47-percent beef, some meat products contained up to 80-percent horsemeat, and 85 percent of products contained traces of pork.¹ In addition to potential health incidents due to allergic reactions, religious dietary guidelines and restrictions may also be violated when labels are incorrect.² The bottom line is this: People should be provided with accurate information so that they can decide for themselves what, and what not, to eat.

A crisis like this can have far-reaching impact. In addition to product recalls, safety alerts, and expensive market withdrawals, there can be loss of reputation among consumers as well as the general public. And since the food supply chain is extensive, global, and highly interconnected, a failure introduced by one supply chain partner can lead to adverse effects on a company that isn’t even directly responsible for the problems.³

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