TS EN 17972

TS EN 17972 is a terminology standard that gathers the concepts, terms, and definitions used in the field of food authenticity and food fraud. Its focus is on clarifying the language used when discussing whether a food product is genuine, and on ensuring consistent understanding of fraud-related expressions across the supply chain. In general technical practice, standards of this type help prevent the same term from being used with different meanings in analysis, traceability, inspection, risk assessment, and regulatory communication.

How food authenticity and fraud are distinguished

Food authenticity concerns the declared identity of a product, including its origin, composition, production method, or degree of processing. Food fraud is associated with the deliberate misrepresentation of those characteristics; examples commonly include mislabeling, imitation products, ingredient substitution, or misleading origin claims. The value of this standard is that it defines the core vocabulary in this field, supporting a shared language for laboratory work, supply chain controls, and quality assurance activities.

Scope across food and feed supply chains

The document provides its terms and definitions primarily in the context of food supply chains, while noting that most of them can also be applied to feed products and the feed supply chain. This reflects the close technical relationship between food and feed systems, where authenticity, traceability, and honest trade are often discussed using similar concepts. Rather than prescribing a test method or numerical limits, the standard organises the conceptual framework, making it especially useful for technical documents, quality systems, and control processes that depend on consistent terminology.