Whilst the practice of adulterating food is as old as commerce itself, statistics reveal that in the last few years it is on the rise. However, despite both the economic and social importance of food fraud, a harmonised definition does not exist in the European Union legislation. In defining food fraud it seems to be essential to take into account the interests jeopardized by the fraud such as consumer interest in food safety and to make informed choices with reference to the foods chosen by the consumer.