Statistical evaluation and regional specificities of food falsification in Ukraine

Abstract

Currently, the contribution of the agro-industrial complex in the Ukrainian export is decisive and is exceeding the metallurgical and mechanical engineering industries performance. Successful selling of the food products, primarily in the domestic market, is indispensable to ensure the state food security. However, the analysis of a number of publications, including the official report "On the state of food security of Ukraine" showed not taking into account foods falsification that has a strong negative impact on the population security and the state as a whole. The article, proposing an overview of the problem in the historical aspect, focuses on the methods of falsification since the middle of the XIX century, when they reached both an industrial scale and the transnational level. The facts of foods falsification in the United Kingdom and France, as well as the Russian Empire are analyzed. Authors show, that the ways to fake milk products by unscrupulous producers at the beginning of the XX century continue to be actively used till now, including modern Ukraine. The impact of food falsification in Ukraine on the food security indicators for 2013 is considered. A method of consumer-friendly food index assessment (without taking into account food falsification level) is proposed. Authors show that it is important to take into account this index for the food security status reports preparation both for the regional level and for Ukraine. Distribution laws for per capita consumption of basic food groups are estimated. As a result, cluster analysis revealed no significant cross-regional differences in per capita consumption of basic food products group. A weak correlation between consumption of the certain types of food groups is showed as a correlation analysis result. Thus, it can be assumed that the consumption both food and food falsification is more or less evenly distributed throughout the territory of Ukraine.