Formula, milk powder and dairy supply chains have faced various issues over the last decade. From mislabelling and misrepresentation of origin to adulteration and, in some cases, complete substitution, these profoundly impact availability, product safety, brand and industry value, and consumer trust.

The industry currently relies heavily on external packaging measures and tracking labels to facilitate anti-tampering, data collection and traceability. Source Certain’s service complements these solutions by focussing on physical powder samples analysed in a laboratory environment to verify the origin of manufacturing. This adds a scientific layer of security to underpin product integrity. Our verification service provides scientific evidence of origin back to the batch number.

This is entirely independent of packaging claims and tracking label data. We can sample product at any point in the supply chain to provide assurance of packaging claims and identify ‘problem areas’ where substitution or mislabelling has occurred.

Key issues facing infant formula and dairy supply chains

Shortages
Global shortages can be triggered by the closure of even one manufacturing plant. Product availability is affected nationally and even internationally as some manufacturing plants specifically supply export markets.

Mislabelling
Mislabelling and misbranding are critical risks in the baby formula market, with fake labels, codes and altered expiration dates being found on inspected goods. Some dairy products are fraudulently labeled as organic, hormone-free, or produced under specific farming practices to command a higher price.

Adulteration
Adulteration with foreign additives is a severe risk with serious food safety outcomes. Adulterants like starch and maltodextrin have been used to reduce production costs, artificially boost nutritional content or bulk out infant formula. Mixing genuine dairy products with lower-cost ingredients, such as water, vegetable oils, or non-dairy proteins, occurs in the dairy industry to increase the overall volume of the product while reducing production costs.

Origin verification for the infant formula and dairy industry

Source Certain’s robust and trusted science offers assurance to retailers and stakeholders by adding a layer of credibility to sourcing claims that consumers can trust. In the export market, our service guarantees supply chain partners that the product they are trading is sourced from where it claims to originate.

Explore our Provenance Verification Program