That Parmesan cheese is actually wood, that honey has corn syrup, and the cake is a lie.
In fact, according to theU.S.
Pharmacopeial Convention(USP), an estimated 7% of products in grocery stores nationwide contain fraudulent ingredients.
Here are the most common offenders.
But the FDA has beencracking down on fraudulent Parmesan cheesefor years now.
In fact, anFDA analysis suggeststheresnoactual Parmesan cheese in theMarket Pantry brand 100% grated Parmesan Cheesesold at Target.
Also, take note of the price.
Parmesan is expensive because it takes a lot of time and a lot of milk to make.
If its super cheap, thats a red flag.
That goes for everything on this list.
If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is tampered with in a lot of ways so distributors can make money.
Fortunately, there are a few things you could do when youre shopping for olive oil.
First,look for a harvest date on the label.
Second,look for a seal of approvalfrom the local or regional authority where it was bottled.
Lastly,check the label for the olive oils cultivars, or jot down of olives that were used.
And becausealmost all saffron is imported to the U.S., its harder to regulate what might be in it.
Ground black pepper has beenmixed with ground papaya seeds, buckwheat flower, and black pepper plant stems.
And paprika imported from Hungary has beencut with white pepper, curuma,andeven brick powder in the past.
The most effective way to avoid the fake stuff is by buying spices whole.
Look for whole peppercorns, saffron threads, and whole driedpaprika peppers, then grind them yourself.
Dont worry,grinding whole spices into common measurementsisnt as hard as it sounds.
Honey
Honey is an easy target for EMA because its so sweet.
Some distributorsadd cheap filler like high fructose corn syrup or rice sugarto the mix.
Othersfilter the product to remove pollen, making itharder to tell if a product is pure honey or not.
Honey being filtered doesnt necessarily mean that its fake, but its possible that youre just eating sugar syrup.
Spread the honey on a piece of bread and let it sit for a few minutes.
If the honey crystallizes and the top of the bread gets crunchy, its real.
If it gets soggy, its fake.
you’ve got the option to also test the honey in water.
Drop a teaspoon of honey into a glass of water and see if it settles at the bottom.
Fish and Seafood
Do you know the differences betweenking mackerelandgrouper?
How about if you’ve got the option to only see the meat?
Not to mention the fact that youre not getting what you paid for.
And its even more difficult to tell when allyou see is decorated cuts of meat.
Luckily, you could still educate yourself and make informed buying decisions.
Out-of-season fish, like wild salmon from Alaska, being sold fresh in winter months.
If something about the fish seems fishy, press the chef or fish seller for information.
If they cant, or they seem unsure themselves, get your fish elsewhere.
You should stick with known safe suppliers, importers, restaurants, and retailersthat are membersof theBetter Seafood Board.
Get to know your seafood and where it comes from before you eat it.
Photos byerik forsberg,U.S.
