Abstract:

The increase in world’s population and the economic globalisation led to the outstanding development of the international food trade. The appearance of new markets and the diversification and increase in food demand entailed, on the one hand, higher earnings for merchants and, on the other hand, the need to identify new suppliers or the increase in the quantities delivered by the traditional processors. Competition on the food market becomes manifest mainly in price evolution, the decrease in prices being achieved by legal or illegal means and by compromises made in point of product quality. For the consumer, especially the uneducated one, the appearance of new suppliers or products may be risky, especially if the main purchasing criterion is the price of the product. For national or regional authorities the increase in the quantity of food from the market and in the number of players imposes the finding of new ways to comply with the law and protect the consumer. Although there have already been taken a series of measures at a regional or national level, the food market is still facing a series of problems regarding product fraud. The fraudulent undertakings in the food domain may bring important financial benefits for those who practise them, but they are illegal and they can affect consumer safety and may lead to a number of risks both for the consumer and for the food market. Except the horse meat scandal, which was an important issue, Romania is characterised by minor incidents in the food fraud domain. The article proposes a comprehensive analysis of the food incidents from Romania in the last few years and an adequate analysis of the international context. Although joining the EU led to a number of benefits for Romania and to a complex legislative system in the food safety domain, there have still been some critical situations in the food chain.