Entire cast in horsemeat scandal must recognise role

A tale of alleged fraud, denial, mistrust, rogue traders, falsified passports and illegal trafficking that has captivated the entire western world. The perfect setting for Ben Affleck’s next Hollywood thriller one would think? In a perfect world the answer would be ‘yes’, but in reality, Tinseltown’s talented young director is no match for the imaginations of capitalist ‘meat prospectors’.

In this world, the setting is the food supply chain and its stars are all the stakeholders (farmers, manufacturers, retailers, consumers etc.) that are involved in what is called the “farm to fork” process.

At its basic level the food supply chain is made up of multiple enterprises, multiple flows of items, information and finances and is a complex story to tell with many layers, plots and sub-plots to uncover and understand. Unfortunately, it is in its complexity that opportunities such as the recent horsemeat scandal have arisen.