Topic

Mislabelling and food fraud are rife. It is estimated that more than a third of products on our shelves are falsely labelled. For most small retailers, testing products is not an option because they don't have the resources.

Food and product label claims such as "natural", "organic", "biodegradable", "ethical", "sustainable" and "non-toxic" are almost completely unregulated.

For most consumers there's a real need for transparency and peace of mind.

Consumers will be aware of the recent meat, gluten, milk, fish and Omega oil supplement scandals. "Buyer beware" still very much applies.

There is currently no organisation testing consumer products and protecting the consumer from false or misleading claims.

TOPIC is a consumer-led voluntary association that has been formed to fill this gap. Funded by consumers and retailers that are committed to transparency, TOPIC uses laboratory testing as well as farm and factory visits to verify that ingredients are verified and label claims are accurate.