Past research has shown that women with heart disease are particularly susceptible to sudden cardiac death if they regularly consume trans fats in food. And a recent study just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who ate the most trans fats had a 51 percent higher risk of ovarian cancer than women who ate the lowest amounts.

Given all the bad press trans fats received a few years ago, you might have thought they were as out-of-vogue as smoking lounges or lead paint. However, "they're definitely a big problem that people need to look out for," says Trevor Holly Cates, ND, a naturopathic physician with a practice in the Golden Door Spa at the Waldorf Astoria in Park City, Utah, and a board member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. She pegs the problem to our love of processed foods, which rely on partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (the number one source of trans fats) because they're cheap and last so long. The problem of processed foods become exacerbated by the fact that the Food and Drug Administration legally allows manufacturers to say that a serving contains zero trans fats if the actual amount of trans fat doesn't exceed 0.5 grams. That's a quarter of what the American Heart Association recommends most Americans eat per day. So a lot of people are eating trans fats without realizing it, or while thinking that they're eating trans-fat-free foods.

"Stay away from processed foods," Cates says. "The more we process foods and alter them from what's found in nature, the more problems we create." Cates also argues that, when it comes to home cooking, we shouldn't be replacing margarine and partially hydrogenated oils with regular vegetable oils, either. "Vegetable oils are made quickly and cheaply, and with the processing, it does change them so they're not as beneficial," she says. For instance, the heat and harsh chemicals used to extract oil from vegetables can destroy some of the vitamins and antioxidants that should make vegetable oils healthy. Plus, research has shown that overheating vegetable oils releases lung-damaging and potentially cancer-causing particulates into your kitchen.

Instead, Cates recommends you use healthier, less-processed cooking oils that can withstand high heats and have long shelf lives naturally. "A lot of oils are delicate and they oxidize quickly," she says, either when heated to high temperatures or after they go rancid. "It's important for people to know when that happens, because when an oil goes rancid, it can be more harmful than good." The oxidation process creates alterations at the cellular level that can promote cancerous cell growth, she says.

"The foods you eat should be feeding you and providing nutrients," she says. So if you want to get the most benefits from your cooking oils, rather than replace your harmful trans-fat oils with other potentially harmful vegetable oils, try one of these good fats instead:

#1: Grapeseed oil. Cates' favorite cooking oil is grapeseed oil, an oil that probably isn't familiar to most people. It's popular in France and, Cates says, is great for sautéing, stir-frying, and other high-temperature cooking methods. "With other oils, high temperatures cause them to change molecular structure and oxidize," she says. In addition, she says, grapeseed oil has been found to improve heart health: Animal studies have shown that rats fed grapeseed oil have lower levels of cholesterol than rats fed lard or soybean oil. Also, it's high in protein and fiber. It has a light flavor, so it works well when you need a neutral-tasting oil to cook with.

#2: Coconut oil. Coconut oil has gotten a bad reputation because it's has so much saturated fat, as much as 92 percent. "But there are a lot of health benefits that go beyond just what kind of fat it is," Cates says. For instance, coconut oil is high in lauric acid, a nutrient our bodies need to help our immune systems. One of the only other major dietary sources for lauric acid is breast milk. "But I'd only use a teaspoon," she cautions. That way you get the health benefits without overdoing the fat. Coconut oil comes in a variety of forms, so you want to be sure you get the right kind. Extra-virgin centrifuged coconut oil has a light coconutty flavor, making it good for baking (if you want a little extra flavor in your cookies or cakes), whereas expeller-pressed coconut oil has no flavor at all and is a good substitute for butter or shortening. You can buy certified-organic coconut oil online from Wilderness Family Naturals.

#3: Ghee."If people are trying to choose between a hydrogenated oil and butter, definitely go for butter," Cates says. "We would be better off if we got back to using butter and less of these refined oils." Ghee is essentially clarified butter, made by melting down butter until all the water evaporates and just the butter solids are left. The process concentrates the conjugated linoleic acid, a healthy cancer-fighter, found in butter. "When you clarify butter like that, it does seem to handle a higher temperature, as well," Cates says, i.e. it becomes more stable and won't oxidize when heated. The key to good ghee is making sure it's organic. "When you're talking about fats and dairy products, all the environmental toxins concentrate in the fat," she says. Ghee, however, like coconut oil, is high in saturated fat, so use just a teaspoon when cooking. You can find organic, grass-fed ghee through Pure Indian Foods.

#4: Olive oil. There's seemingly no end to the health benefits of olive oil. It's good for your heart, high in healthy monounsaturated fats, and it just tastes good. But the healthiest high-quality, extra-virgin olive oils don't handle heat well, so Cates recommends reserving them for salad dressings. Lower-quality refined olive oils that can withstand high heats (sometimes labeled "pure" or "extra light") have been heavily processed using heat and chemicals, and contain as much as three times less of the polyphenols and antioxidants that make extra-virgin olive oil so healthy.

Moroccan Couscous with Roasted Butternut Squash

2 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup diced onion

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 tsp cumin

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1 box (5.8 oz) garlic-flavored couscous (such as Near East)

2 Tbsp golden raisins

1/4 cup dark raisins

1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Sliced almonds, toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss squash and onions with 1 tablespoon oil. Spread on a baking sheet lined with foil and roast for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.

Combine remaining olive oil, water, cayenne pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and spice pouch from couscous package in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add raisins and chickpeas, stir, then add couscous; cover. Remove from heat and let stand for at least 10 minutes.

Remove vegetables from oven, toss with couscous mixture, and garnish with almonds, if desired.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS.

Per serving: 330 cal, 8 g fat (1 g sat), 59 g carbs, 560 mg sodium, 6 g fiber, 10 g protein

Three More Delicious Recipes

1. Spicy fries: Cut the neck off a large squash, then pee it and slice into thin strips. Toss with 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and 1/2 tsp each black pepper, cayenne, cumin, and salt until well coated. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 450°F for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.

2. Creamy soup: In a large saucepan, saute 1/2 cup chopped onion in 1 Tbsp salted butter over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add 3 cups cubed squash, 1 cup peeled and chopped Granny Smith apple, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp each black pepper and cayenne, 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, and 1/2 cup apple juice. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 15 minutes. Transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Top each serving with 1 Tbsp low-fat sour cream, if desired.

3. Goat-cheese pizza: Microwave 3 cups cubed squash for 2 minutes. Transfer to a saute pan and add 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp cayenne, and 1/2 a small onion (sliced). Cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Drizzle 1/2 Tbsp olive oil onto a 12-inch prepared thin pizza crust, and top with squash mixture and 2 oz crumbled low-fat goat cheese; bake 8 to 10 minutes at 425°F. Add 1/2 cup arugula and bake 2 more minutes.

Paying attention to your body's hunger signals and slowing down to savor each bite are components of mindful eating. Learning to view food as fuel and asking "Why am I eating this?" will help you make more balanced and intelligent choices.

A full-body cleanse is the perfect way to kick off a mindful-eating practice. I'm a huge fan of cleansing, but not of the lack of sustenance, so I partnered with Debbie Kim, a holistic nutritionist in Los Angeles, to create a mini-cleanse that will reboot your system and help you reassess the way you look at food. No processed foods are permitted—that means nothing from a box, jar, or can. You want to eat only fresh food (organic, if possible). Start with the three-day cleanse, and if you're still going strong, continue for 10 days.

Day 1

Breakfast: Smoothie

Snack: Cucumber Salad

Lunch: Asparagus Soup and Spinach Salad

Snack: 1 cup Veggies and Dip

Dinner: Greens, Eggs, and No Ham

Nightcap: 1 cup Mixed Berries

Day 2

Breakfast: Smoothie

Snack: Steamed Artichoke with Lemon Dip

Lunch: Raw Tomato Basil Soup and 1 cup Arugula Salad

Snack: Hard-or Soft-Boiled Egg

Dinner: Simply Delicious Salmon and Quinoa

Nightcap: Smoothie

Day 3

Breakfast: Smoothie

Snack: 1 cup Veggies and Dip

Lunch: Sweet Potato Soup and Kale Salad

Snack: Smoothie

Dinner: Crunch Salad and Green Soup

Nightcap: 1 cup Mixed Berries

INSTANT SMOOTHIE MAKER

Smoothies are easy to make and instantly delicious! All smoothies should include:/>

1–2 cups leafy greens, such as kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, beet greens, or spinach

1 rib celery

1 small Persian cucumber

1–2 tablespoons flaxseed oil

1 scoop each of protein powder and superfood powder/>/>/>/>

Blend with 1 cup of fruit and 1 cup water or coconut water to your taste.

Here are some of my favorite combinations. Feel free to experiment and come up with your own!

Papaya and pineapple

Strawberry and blueberry (1/2 grapefruit optional)

Banana and raspberry (lime juice optional)/>/>

KALE SALAD

1 bunch kale, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt

Mandarin orange slices or 1 orange, sectioned and seeds removed

1/2 avocado
/>/>/>/>/>

1. Put the kale in a large bowl and massage it with the olive oil and salt. Let it stand for 10 minutes to soften the leaves.

2. Chop and add the oranges and avocado to the kale. Toss well.

3. Serve the salad with the dressing (see below) on the side.

Dressing

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon raw agave nectar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Pinch of sea salt

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, agave, oil, and salt. Mix well.

To make it a meal, add 1 cup of cooked quinoa./>/>/>/>/>/>

SPINACH SALAD

Spinach (1 bag)

Fennel, chopped

Hard-boiled egg, chopped

Radish, chopped

Grilled salmon/>/>/>/>

Spray a grill pan with olive oil and bring to high heat. Lightly coat both sides of the salmon with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill on each side for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the fish is opaque. In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, fennel, egg, and radish. Toss with Traditional Avo Dressing and serve salmon on top of greens.

Traditional Avo Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 avocado

Sea salt to taste/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>

In a blender, combine the oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme, oregano, lime juice, avocado, and salt. Blend well.

ARUGULA SALAD

Arugula (1 bag)

1/2 skinless, boneless chicken breast, grilled and chopped

1/4 avocado, chopped

2 or 3 strawberries, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine the arugula, chicken, avocado, and strawberries. Toss, and serve with Raspberry Apple Cider Vinaigrette (see below) on the side./>/>/>/>

Raspberry Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup raspberries

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon agave nectar

In a blender, combine the vinegar, oil, raspberries, lemon, and agave. Mix well./>/>/>/>/>/>

CRUNCH SALAD

Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/4 apple, chopped

1/2 persian cucumber, chopped

1/2 skinless, boneless chicken breast, grilled and chopped

In a medium bowl, combine the lettuce, apple, cucumber, and chicken. Add the Creamy-Cheesy-Sweet Avocado Dressing, and toss well./>/>/>/>

Creamy-Cheesy-Sweet Avocado Dressing

1/2 avocado

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon Bragg's Premium Nutritional Yeast Seasoning

1 teaspoon raw agave nectar

In a blender, combine the avocado, garlic, oil, lemon, salt, seasoning, and agave. Mix well./>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>

SO-COOL CUCUMBER SALAD

3 Persian cucumbers

12 to 15 grape tomatoes/>

1. Trim the ends off the cucumbers and quarter them lengthwise. Finely chop the quarters. Place them in a serving bowl.

2. Use the same technique to chop the cherry tomatoes, chop and add them to the bowl.

Dressing

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 red jalapeno chile pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped, wear plastic gloves when handling

1 tablespoon mint leaves, finely chopped

1/2 shallot, finely chopped

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Sea salt

Fresh cracked black pepper/>/>/>/>/>/>/>

1. In a jar, combine the oil, chile pepper, mint, shallot, and vinegar. Shake well to mix and pour it over the cucumbers and tomatoes.

2. Toss well and season to taste with the salt and black pepper.

RAW TOMATO BASIL SOUP

2 tomatoes, cored

3 cloves garlic

1/2 to 1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeds removed, wear plastic gloves when handling

1 cup fresh basil

1/4 yellow onion or sweet onion

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Ground black pepper to taste

1 cup water

Squeeze of lime juice (optional)

In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatoes, garlic, pepper, basil, onion, oil, salt, pepper, and lime juice (if using)./>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>

SWEET POTATO SOUP

1 sweet potato

2 tablespoons butter

2 ribs celery, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch of sea salt

2 1/2 cups organic chicken broth

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cumin/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the sweet potato for 1 hour or until cooked through. Remove the skin from the potato and discard it.

2. In a skillet, melt the butter and saute the celery, onion, carrots, and garlic for 7 to 10 minutes, until tender. Add the broth and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and add the sweet potato pulp, cinnamon, and cumin. Blend or process until smooth.

ASPARAGUS SOUP

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 onion or 1 leek, chopped

Salt and ground black pepper

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)/>/>/>/>/>/>

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions until soft. Add garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the asparagus and saute until the spears turn bright green. Add the broth and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend or process until smooth.

DR. KIM'S GREEN SOUP

2 cups each of Swiss chard and spinach

1 zucchini, cut into thirds

1 cup cleaned and trimmed green beans

1/4 cup parsley/>/>/>

1. Put the greens, zucchini, beans, and enough water to cover the vegetables (3 to 4 cups) in a pot over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the greens turn an emerald color. Stir in the parsley, remove the pot from the heat, and let it cool slightly.

2. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend or process until smooth.

3. Feel free to add onions, garlic, or the herbs or spices of your choice.

This soup is excellent for encouraging daily bowel movements and relieving constipation.

GREENS, EGGS, AND NO HAM

1 cup red, white, and black quinoa, mixed

1 3/4 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil + 1 teaspoon for drizzling (optional)

2 cups water

1 cup beluga lentils

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 package organic baby spinach

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 egg

Greens of 2 scallions or 1 small bunch of chives, finely sliced/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>

1. Cover the quinoa with water and let it soak for 10 minutes. Drain and pat it dry. Place a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the dry quinoa, and toast, stirring as needed, for 5 minutes or until it is fragrant. Cover the quinoa with the broth, then add a pinch of salt and a small splash of olive oil. Bring it to a boil, stir, and reduce the heat. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes or until all the moisture has been absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy.

2. In another medium pot, combine the water and lentils over high heat. Bring them to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Add the cumin, curry, and cinnamon. Let it cook for 20 minutes or until all the moisture has been absorbed and the lentils are cooked through. In a large bowl, mix the quinoa and lentils together. Drizzle on 1 teaspoon of olive oil if you desire a moister dish.

3. In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes, until it's golden brown, and add the spinach, red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently to coat the leaves. Once all the leaves have wilted (they will shrink to almost one-third of their original size), remove the mixture from the pan, reserving the oil.

4. Place a nice layer of the spinach on a plate and top with the quinoa-lentil mixture. Reheat the skillet over medium heat and cook the egg sunny-side up for 5 minutes or until the white is cooked through. Transfer the egg to the top of the quinoa-lentil mixture and garnish with a festive bunch of scallion greens.

SIMPLY DELICIOUS SALMON

2 teaspoons agave nectar

1 filet wild Alaskan salmon

Sea salt to taste/>/>

1. Rub the agave nectar on both sides of the salmon and add a sprinkle of salt.

2. Cook over high heat in either a grill pan or a skillet on the stovetop or on the grill. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until the fish is opaque throughout.

STEAMED ARTICHOKE WITH LEMON DIP

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 bay leaf

1 artichoke, trimmed

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

3–4 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Large pinch Maldon sea salt/>/>/>/>/>/>

1. Place the garlic and bay leaf in the water inside a steamer. Bring to a boil, add the artichoke to the steamer basket, and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, until the artichoke is tender.

2. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt. Dip the artichoke leaves and heart in the dressing and savor every bite!

Stefanie Giesselbach had the Feds closing in on her. Fast. But as the 30-year-old attempted to board a flight back to her native Germany, agents descended on her at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and took her into custody.

Giesselbach had been part of a masterful criminal enterprise, an $80 million scheme that involved a clandestine network of growers, importers, and distributors around the world. It operated like a drug cartel.

But the trafficked product wasn't heroin or cocaine. It was honey, the same sticky-sweet stuff that fills cute bear-shaped bottles on store shelves and in pantries across America.

Giesselbach's arrest opened the door to one of the largest cases of food fraud this country had ever seen and shed light on a crime that experts believe is rampant, and a serious threat to our food safety. As the details unspooled over the next four years, it became clearer how adulterated foods or mislabeled foods—which by some estimates make up close to 7 percent of our food supply—slip undetected into the U.S.

Patchwork safety controls, an underfunded FDA—these are no match for criminals like Stefanie Giesselbach.

Like most companies accused of food fraud, Giesselbach's, Alfred L. Wolff GmbH (ALW)—at the time, a large importer of the country's honey—was more concerned with making money than mayhem: By labeling honey that was produced in China so it appeared to have originated in other countries, the company was able to bypass hefty tariffs. But unlike scams involving knockoff handbags or cut-rate electronics, the consequences of these profiteering shenanigans posed a very real health threat to consumers.

That's because Chinese honey can be contaminated with drugs that are illegal in the United States food industry—and with good reason. Chloramphenicol, a common one, is a potent antibiotic that isn't approved for use in U.S. food or food-producing animals because it can lead to a potentially fatal type of bone marrow disorder. (The European Union completely banned the import of Chinese honey.)

It's likely that Giesselbach and her company knew about the contamination, of course, but they also probably knew how difficult food fraud is to uncover. So they were able to sell the drug-laced product to buyers who trusted ALW enough not to test the product, and to one company in Texas that agreed to ignore the contamination in return for a discount on the product. (ALW execs referred to this company as the "garbage can" for adulterated honey.)

ALW allegedly got away with the fraud for at least seven years—seven years in which its tainted honey was bought up by manufacturers and consumers who baked it into cookies or stirred it into tea. Even more alarming, shutting down this company's multimillion-dollar gambit has not stopped others from importing polluted products that end up in our food supply and our bodies.

The Fake in Your Fridge

Food Fraud is a booming enterprise, one that some experts estimate to be worth billions a year. And it isn't confined to adding illegal substances to a food; the crime encompasses any deliberate substitution, addition, tampering, or misrepresentation of food, ingredients, or packaging.

While it is impossible to know exactly how much counterfeit fare we scoop onto our plates every day, a recent report in the Journal of Food Science, which analyzed published records of food fraud from 1980 to 2010, found that in 95 percent of the fakeries, authentic material—for example, extra-virgin olive oil—was swapped for a less expensive substitute, such as palm or peanut oil.

It's a bummer to think that the fancy gourmet coffee you think you've been buying—at a premium!—from your local market or ordering at your favorite cafe may actually be some conventional variety. But consider yourself lucky if your budget is all that ends up being compromised.

For someone with a severe nut allergy who unwittingly sautes spinach in olive oil that has been cut with peanut oil, the dupe is downright dangerous, if not deadly. In 2003, after roughly 40 people were sickened, some with serious neurological effects such as seizures, authorities alleged that the culprit was tinkered-with tea in which cheap but toxic Japanese star anise was swapped in for a nontoxic Chinese variety.

And in some cases, the ill effects of food fraud may not be apparent right away. "It's often only in hindsight that we can say that an adulteration actually led to a health issue," says Markus Lipp, Ph.D., director of food standards at the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention, a scientific nonprofit that sets food ingredient standards in the United States.

Which means that by the time the crime is discovered, it's often too late to prevent or reverse potential long-term damage. Some adulterants may be discovered to cause brain or kidney damage over time, for example, but that information may come to light only after people have been unknowingly ingesting it, possibly for years.

"That's the biggest problem with food fraud," says Karen Everstine, research fellow at the National Center for Food Protection and Defense. "We don't know what the long-term health consequences are. That's why it doesn't get as much attention as I think it should. If people aren't dying immediately, no one thinks it's a big problem."

Weak Links in the Food Chain

The reality is, it's a bigger problem than ever. Because so many food-production conglomerates today are huge global corporations, the effects of adulterated products can be catastrophic and far-ranging. "Just one incident can be enormous," says John Spink, Ph.D., the associate director of Michigan State University's Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection Program, which was the first of its kind when it started in 2010 specifically to combat food fraud. "That's why there's a bigger risk to public health today."

Roughly 15 percent of the food we consume in America is imported, passing through some 300 ports of entry and physically inspected only a fraction of the time. One of the places you're likely to find fakes: your spice drawer. "We import almost all spices because we can't grow them in mass quantities here," says Everstine. In India, which grows almost all of the world's turmeric, media outlets reported that 99 percent of tested samples contained lead. (Ingesting lead has been linked to health problems including elevated blood pressure, decreased fertility, cataracts, nerve disorders, muscle and joint pain, and memory or concentration problems.) Spice traders may mix in lead-containing coal tar dyes or lead chromate to achieve that lovely yellow color. Just last year, turmeric sold at a well-known nationwide chain was recalled from its stores in more than 40 states due to lead contamination.

But recalls aren't always enough. In 2005, Sudan 1, an illegal and potentially carcinogenic food dye that is normally used for coloring plastics, made its way into Worcestershire sauce that was sold in the U.S. Nearly 30,000 bottles got onto store shelves, and there's no way of knowing if all were removed before they were bought and consumed. More recently, Indian media reports surfaced about a raid last November on an Indian spice company that revealed its chili powder—set to be exported to the United States—was tainted with Sudan IV, a similar cancer-causing adulterant.

You'd think the risk of food fakery would be lower with nonpackaged foods, but in July, an investigation from an international conservation organization called Oceana found that roughly one-third of the seafood it tested in southern Florida was mislabeled. "The complex and often obscure path that seafood takes from boat to plate provides an open door for illegal activity," the report stated. The findings were disturbing, it said, leaving consumers unable to protect their health: One fish labeled grouper was actually king mackerel, which the FDA advises women of childbearing age not to eat because of its high mercury levels; and fish marketed as white tuna or whitefish was subbed with escolar, a species that contains a naturally occurring toxin that can cause severe digestive problems. (The FDA advises against its sale; if it is sold, it should come with a warning. It was banned in Italy and Japan due to health concerns.)

An Evolving Threat

Combating food fraud is just as hard as detecting it, for many of the same reasons. "The bad guys keep evolving," says Spink. "If we say, 'Here's how you can identify a good product, look at this label, buy it this way,' they'll find a new way to deceive us." Experts say that when Chinese smugglers realized that sweetening supposedly "pure" honey with high fructose corn syrup was harder to test for than regular corn syrup, they used that instead.

This kind of comestibles arms race may be making things worse by causing criminals to resort to ever-new and unexpected adulterants to slip through the system. Food fraud is going to keep happening as long as people can get away with it, says Everstine. And because supply chains are often complicated, it's almost impossible to figure out who's to blame even after the duplicity has been discovered. In his book Extra Virginity, Tom Mueller reports that U.S. marshals seized some 61,000 liters of bogus extra-virgin olive oil (it was actually mostly soybean oil) from a New Jersey warehouse in 2006. Mueller details how the U.S. company that bought it blamed the switch on the supplier, which in turn blamed it on the Italian bottlers, and in the end, no criminal charges were brought against anyone.

"It's a systemic problem," says Everstine. "It's going to take the involvement of government and industry to really get that under control." But many experts say the FDA, the agency tasked with keeping our food supply safe, is woefully underfunded and overwhelmed. "The agencies do have a role in preventing food fraud, but they are limited," says Spink. "They aren't really preventive—they're more enforcement and prosecution."

This may be changing for the better, though. The FDA now recognizes food fraud as a health threat that's as serious as dangerous drugs and faulty medical products. In a report last year, it called the harm caused by counterfeiting, fraud, and adulterations "perhaps the most serious challenge on the horizon."

Real progress is being made. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law last year, has charged the agency with building a modern, prevention-oriented safety system suited for today's globalized food supply, granting it new powers to recall products, increase inspections, and demand accountability from food companies. (Currently, no law requires that all imported foods be tested for adulteration.)

In the meantime, trade groups for frequently faked foods have been working behind the scenes to bolster consumer confidence. Since the FDA doesn't define different grades of olive oil—even though the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) first petitioned them to do so more than 20 years ago—the NAOOA has convinced some states, including Connecticut and California, to mandate standards so that fraudsters can be prosecuted.

The beleaguered honey industry is taking a different approach by forming a group called True Source Honey. "We built a traceability program so we could ensure honey's path from the beekeeper all the way to the consumer," says spokesperson Jill Clark. "People want to know exactly where their food comes from, and this makes the supply chain transparent." They launched the effort in January 2011 and have been working diligently to certify exporters in foreign countries as well as packers in the U.S. "The reason we started True Source Honey," says Clark, "is that we realized we can't rely on the government to fix all of our problems."

Retailers are stepping in as well. "Food fraud is absolutely on our radar," says Brianna Blanton, a brand manager for Whole Foods Market. For the products it carries exclusively or under its store brand, the company develops a testing strategy customized for the product and has members of its quality-assurance team routinely visit manufacturers they work with in order to see for themselves the products being made. "While we do trust our suppliers based on many long-standing relationships," says Blanton, "we can't go on trust alone."

New technologies—including stable isotope ratio analysis, which can determine if honey is adulterated with sugar or if "natural" fruit juice is actually reconstituted from concentrate—are on the horizon and may help crack down on such crimes. But for now, food fraud remains a frightening reality.

Illegal imports of Chinese honey may still be seeping through our borders. As recently as 2009, an estimated 80 million pounds of Chinese honey were smuggled into the country. But as government focus shifts from detection to prevention, and the FDA and retailers work together to improve quality control, increase transparency, and crack down on the criminals endangering the U.S. food supply, maybe soon, together, they'll find a way to stem the sticky tide.

RELATED:Easy Ways to Protect Yourself from Food Label Lies

Olive Oil

Adulteration: Regular olive oil instead of extra virgin; soybean oil colored with chlorophyll; hazelnut, corn, sunflower, peanut, vegetable, palm, and walnut oils

Milk

Adulteration: Reconstituted milk powder, urea, and rennet; oil, urea, detergent, caustic soda, sugar, salt, and skim milk powder; melamine

Honey

Adulteration: Sugar syrup, corn syrup, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, beet sugar, antibiotics

Saffron

Adulteration: Glycerin, sandalwood dust, tartrazine (a yellow dye linked to hyperactivity in children), barium sulfate (a compound used in oil-well drilling), borax

Orange Juice

Adulteration: Fungicide, lemon juice, mandarin juice, grapefruit juice, high-fructose corn syrup, paprika extract, beet sugar

Coffee

Adulteration: Twigs, roasted corn, ground roasted barley, ground parchment. Instant coffee: chicory, cereals, caramel, parchment, starch, malt, figs

Apple Juice

Adulteration: High-fructose corn syrup, raisin sweetener, synthetic malic acid

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Avoid deals that seem too good. There's no need to buy the priciest olive oil you can find, but no authentic EVOO costs $3 a gallon. "If you buy the very cheapest product around, you will not get the highest quality," says Markus Lipp, Ph.D., director of food standards at the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention, a scientific nonprofit that sets food ingredient standards for the FDA.

Buy name brands."If you're buying from a reputable company that has a brand"-including a generic or store brand-"they have a vested interest in maintaining that brand, so you can be pretty sure they are doing what they can, in terms of verifying their supply chains and testing and getting products that aren't adulterated," says Karen Everstine, research fellow at the National Center for Food Protection and Defense. "They don't want to ruin their reputation."

Look at food labels and lot numbers. Seals like the USDA organic certification and those of trade groups like True Source Honey and the North American Olive Oil Association aren't 100 percent foolproof, but they're a good sign someone has checked the product, says John Spink, Ph.D., the associate director of Michigan State University's Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection Program. And lot numbers—printed black numbers on the side or bottom of the packaging—indicate a quality-control system is in place.

Buy local. It's all about shortening the supply chain and increasing transparency. If you're buying produce from the person who grew it or meat from the person who raised it, there are fewer opportunities for the food to be tampered with than tomatoes that have been shipped halfway around the world and handled by multiple people.

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