Product tampering

Nature

Product tampering includes both random mass poisoning and the deliberate poisoning of food and drugs as an instrument in commercial blackmail. It is a modern phenomena born in 1980s.

Incidence

The first case of mass food tampering was in 1982 in USA, when four people died after swallowing the pain-relief drug Tylenol, laced with cyanide. There was no blackmail, no claim of responsibility and no arrest.

Claim

To poison food is to break all the taboos about what is natural and good. Our dependency on pre-packaged and hygienic food has made mass poisoning possible. From the criminal's point of view, it has the merits of anonymity and remoteness: he need never come into personal contact with his victim.

Counter-claim

Product tampering is often exaggerated and sensationalized, diverting attention from far more pressing issues. The actual incidence of tampering is extremely low, and the rigorous safety standards in place effectively mitigate risks. Most consumers are more concerned with quality and price than the unlikely threat of tampering. Focusing on this minor issue distracts from significant challenges like environmental sustainability and economic inequality, which deserve our urgent attention and resources.