Foodstuffs

Counterfeit foodstuffs (food and beverages), in addition to medicinal products, represent the most dangerous counterfeits. Very often, such products are manufactured from untested raw material as to health, sanitary and nutritive characteristics. Counterfeiters are oriented to obtaining a product of seemingly similar features (shape, colour, smell, taste) to original products, using thereby raw material (chemicals) in the production to achieve this goal in the cheapest and simplest way. Counterfeiters do not care thereby if such product is sound as to health, if it has nutritive values and in particular if it is detrimental to the health of a person to consume it. Most often, it is popular products of renowned manufacturers and/or trademarks that are counterfeited.

It is especially risky to buy foodstuffs outside of common points of sale (e.g. in the open or from street sellers) since it is far more difficult to control the origin and the quality of products thus being sold.