Each food scandal is the result of - simplified - either a mistake or intention. The desire to obtain a financial or economic advantage leads some food producers to fraudulent conduct. Others, in turn, misinterpret risks and situations in a grossly negligent way.

However, food fraud is not a phenomenon of modern times. It has existed ever since food was traded for money. The difference to past times is that the quantities traded have increased and supply chains nowadays spread across the globe. This makes modern food trade very vulnerable to fraud, because the risk of getting caught is relatively low.