CHAPTER 18: Durum Wheat and Pasta Authenticity Check Access

Due diligence carried out by a UK company indicated that there was a potential authenticity issue with pasta they were selling to the public and which had been manufactured outside of the UK. Further tests indicated that the amount of Triticum aestivum present appeared to be above that permitted by the Regulations and Code of Practice. The amount of T. aestivum present was confirmed using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The investigation highlighted the need for additional surveillance on the bulk shipments of Triticum durum grain when they arrived at the manufacturer's site and to ensure that the grain suppliers were made aware of the level of testing being performed on arrival. Additional vigilance should be exercised at times when there is a considerable price differential between the two species of wheat, which can then become an economic driver to perpetrate fraud.