Everyday, we are faced with decisions to make about the food we purchase and consume. But, do we truly know what is our food and how this is controlled? At this Science Café Wageningen, Prof. Saskia van Ruth (University College Dublin) will reveal the motivations for why producers cross the moral line and commit food fraud, alongside an introduction about the developed framework for food fraud, and the opportunities and control measures that exist. Dr. Annemieke Pustjens-D’Hamecourt (Wageningen University & Research) will explain further upon the control measures and specifics of food fraud detection, including the pros and cons of the different techniques used everyday.

Please join us on 15-October at 19:45 in Loburg for a delightful evening of science, discussions, and insight about the actions taken to ensure the quality of the foods we consume daily.

Dr. Annemieke Pustjens-D’Hamecourt  is a Team Leader in the Authenticity & Nutrients group as part of Wageningen Food Safety Research at Wageningen University & Research. Annemieke’s work contributes to connecting analytical chemistry and food science with practical regulatory and food safety concerns, thereby informing policy, industry practice, and public health. Her expertise includes dietary studies (i.e., the Dutch Total Diet Study), food authenticity & fraud, analytical methods, and traceability & provenance.

Prof. Saskia van Ruth is a Full Professor of Food Supply Chain Integrity at the University College Dublin (Ireland) in the School of Agriculture and Food Science. Saskia’s research and teaching career has spanned over 30 years with focus on Food Authenticity and Integrity, Flavour Science, Food (analytical) chemistry, having mentored over 175 PhD/MSc/BSc thesis students. She is currently coordinating the European Food Fraud Community of Practice: From Outset to Operation (EFF-CoP), which began in January 2025, and aims to transform how food fraud is combatted in Europe to enhance transparency and integrity across food supply chains.