From horse meat to wooden cheese, Jessica Wynn exposes the counterfeit foods that the "agromafia" criminally sneaks onto our plates this Skeptical Sunday! On This Week's Skeptical Sunday: Food counterfeiting is a massive global criminal enterprise, with the "Agromafia" alone being a $16 billion-per-year industry. Criminal organizations have infiltrated every level of the food supply chain, from farming to distribution, making food fraud more profitable and less risky than traditional criminal activities. Many everyday foods are frequently counterfeited, including olive oil, honey, coffee, seafood, and spices. For example, studies found that 100% of sushi restaurants tested in New York City carried mislabeled fish, and many "extra virgin" olive oils fail authenticity tests. Food fraud isn't just about economic deception — it can pose serious health risks. Examples include melamine-tainted milk that sickened thousands of infants, nitrate-injected tuna causing food poisoning, and allergen concerns from undisclosed ingredients in counterfeit products. The global nature of our food supply chain makes regulation and enforcement extremely challenging. Products often cross multiple borders, making it difficult to track origins and enforce standards, while sophisticated criminal networks stay ahead of detection methods. Consumers can protect themselves by making informed choices: buying whole foods instead of processed ones (like whole coffee beans vs. ground coffee), purchasing from reputable suppliers, checking labels carefully, and when possible, buying directly from local producers. These simple steps can significantly reduce exposure to counterfeit foods while supporting legitimate producers. Connect with Jordan on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at [email protected] and let him know! Connect with Jessica Wynn at Instagram and Threads, and subscribe to her newsletter: Between the Lines! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1088 And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally! This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Full Episode
Welcome to Skeptical Sunday. I'm your host, Jordan Harbinger. Today, I'm here with Skeptical Sunday co-host, writer, and researcher, Jessica Wynn. On the Jordan Harbinger Show, we decode the stories, secrets, and skills of the world's most fascinating people and turn their wisdom into practical advice that you can use to impact your own life and those around you.
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Just visit JordanHarbinger.com slash start or search for us in your Spotify app to get started. Today we unwrap a topic that is not so appetizing, counterfeit food. From the most basic products to the most luxurious ingredients, it seems like pretty much anything can be counterfeited. That's right, even your perfectly aged artisanal cheese is not safe.
It might just be a cleverly disguised hunk of cheese-flavored plastic, and I'm not really exaggerating here. And that fancy, high-priced bottle of wine you're sipping on, it could be nothing more than grape juice with just a splash of regret. So grab your napkins, because we're about to dig into the murky world of counterfeit food, where the stakes are high and the steaks are not even real beef.
These criminals are not exactly Michelin star material. Joining me to take a bite out of food crime is writer and researcher Jessica Wynn.
Hey, Jordan. Can you believe counterfeiting food is a massive, multibillion-dollar industry?
I am a little skeptical about this Skeptical Sunday. As a man who goes out to eat a lot, we might be actually asking questions I don't really want the answers to.
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