Food Fraud Vulnerability Assessment¶
Document No.: HJ-TD-PE-02-GL02-A-2022
Date of Issue: February 8, 2022
Date of Implementation: February 8, 2022
Supervising Department: Food Safety Team
Company: Hongji Agriculture Co., Ltd.
1. Purpose and Scope¶
This procedure governs the identification, evaluation, and control of food fraud vulnerability across the potato flake supply chain — covering raw materials, auxiliary materials (including additives and processing aids), and food-contact materials. Its objective is to prevent adulteration and substitution risks and ensure the effective food-chain safety control of the company's products.
The assessment applies to the company's products and to the procurement of raw materials, auxiliary materials, and food contact materials.
1.1 Responsibilities¶
- The Food Safety Team Leader organizes relevant departments to analyze food fraud vulnerability risks and establish control measures.
- All relevant departments cooperate in the implementation of this procedure.
2. Categories and Definitions of Food Fraud¶
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Food Fraud | Any fraudulent or intentional substitution, dilution, or adulteration of a product or raw material, or misrepresentation of a product or raw material, carried out for economic gain by increasing apparent value or reducing production costs. |
| Adulteration | The addition of undeclared substances to food items for economic benefit. |
| Substitution | Replacing a declared raw material with a lower-value alternative of similar appearance. |
The company's food fraud risks primarily relate to:
- Risk of adulteration in raw and auxiliary materials
- Risk of substitution of raw and auxiliary materials
- Risk in food contact materials
3. Vulnerability Analysis Method¶
The Food Safety Team analyzes the likelihood and severity of potential hazards associated with all raw and auxiliary material categories, considering:
- Historical evidence of adulteration or substitution within the food chain
- Economic factors that may make adulteration more attractive
- Ease of access to the raw material through the supply chain
- Complexity of analytical testing for detecting adulteration
- Nature and characteristics of the raw material
Where products involve outsourcing or contract manufacturing, a separate vulnerability analysis is conducted before cooperation is established.
4. Food Fraud Vulnerability Assessment Record¶
The following assessment covers the company's principal raw materials, additives, and food-contact materials.
4.1 Raw Material Risk Assessment¶
| Raw Material | Main Cause | Supplier/Control Level | Substitution Complexity | Geographical Origin | Physical Form / Accessibility | Detectability (D) | Risk Index (RPN) | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potato | Excessive impurities (soil, grass, stones) | Level 1 supplier / easily controlled | Simple (P4) | Ulagai, Hailar, Tongyu, Siziwang Banner, Naiman | Bulk / very accessible | D2 | R8 | Medium |
| Potato (green skin) | Excessive green skin | Easily controlled | Simple (P4) | Naiman | Ton bag / very accessible | D2 | R8 | Medium |
| Potato (pesticide residues) | Improper pesticide use causing residues | Hard to control | Simple (P5) | Ulagai, Hailar, Tongyu, Siziwang Banner, Naiman | Bulk / less accessible | D2 | R10 | High |
| Citric acid | Colorless/white crystalline granules, odorless, sour | Level 1 supplier / hard to control | Easy (P4) | Shandong | Bagged / accessible | D2 | R8 | Medium |
| Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids | Milky white to light brown viscous powdery solid; excessive lead | Level 1 supplier / hard to control | Simple (P4) | Hangzhou | Bagged / accessible | D2 | R8 | Medium |
| Paper-plastic packaging bag | Food-grade plastic bag; non-food-grade ink | Level 1 supplier / hard to control | Easy (P4) | Wenzhou | Bagged / less accessible | D4 | R16 | High |
4.2 Risk Level Determination¶
| Risk Priority Number (RPN = P × D) | Risk Level Classification |
|---|---|
| 1–4 | Low (L) |
| 5–9 | Medium (M) |
| 10–25 | High (H) |
Detectability (D): D1–D5 | Probability (P): P1–P5
5. Control Measures Plan¶
| No. | Raw Material | Fraud Risk Description | Control Measures | Corrective Measures | Verification Object | Method | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Potato | Excessive impurities (soil, grass, stones) | Visual inspection per truck; reject if > 0.5% impurities; supplier evaluation | Reject non-conforming lots | Supplier and product | Visual | Each truck |
| 2 | Potato (green skin) | Excessive green skin | Visual inspection per truck; reject if > 5% green skin | Reject non-conforming lots | Supplier and product | Visual | Each truck |
| 3 | Potato (pesticide residues) | Improper pesticide use causing residues | Third-party testing before delivery; supplier must provide reports for 228 pesticide residues (GB 2763) and heavy metals | Reject non-conforming lots | Supplier | Third-party / audit | Annually |
| 4 | Citric acid | Excess chloride | Visual inspection per batch; reject unqualified materials | External + batch inspection reports | Supplier and product | Visual / audit | Each batch |
| 5 | Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids | Lead content exceeds standard | Visual inspection per batch; reject unqualified materials | External + batch inspection reports | Supplier and product | Visual / audit | Each batch |
| 6 | Paper-plastic packaging bag | Non-food-grade printing ink | Third-party test report per batch; reject unqualified materials | External + batch inspection reports | Supplier and product | Audit / sampling | Each batch |
6. Updating Food Fraud Vulnerability Assessments¶
The Food Safety Team reviews food fraud vulnerability risks annually and updates them as necessary. Identified risks are updated promptly when:
- Major raw materials or packaging labels change
- Relevant food safety laws, regulations, or requirements applicable to the company change
7. Related Documents¶
- Documented Information Control Procedure
- Food Fraud Vulnerability Risk Assessment Record
End of Document
References¶
- National Health Commission of China. GB National Food Safety Standards — contaminant limits and test methods.
- Hongji Agriculture Technology Co., Ltd. 2026. "Food Fraud Vulnerability Assessment." Hongji Agriculture Knowledge Center.
This document is part of the Hongji Agriculture Technical Documentation Series. For more information about our vertically integrated potato supply chain — from seed breeding and cultivation to processing and global export — visit our official B2B website: https://hjpotatoflakes.com