Classification of product-tampering crimes based on foreign matter

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the crime scene behavior and general characteristics of individuals who commit product-tampering crimes related to food. In total, 121 cases of product tampering that occurred in Japan from 1981 to 2016, in which the offender was arrested, underwent cross-table analysis and multiple correspondence analysis. The results identified five types of product-tampering crimes that differed according to the foreign matter used: “use of a needle or something similar”; “use of bits of metal or something similar”; “use of medication, including psychotropic drugs”; “use of an agrichemical or pesticide”; and “use of a detergent”. The crime scene behaviors and characteristics of the offenders differed according to the foreign matter used, and such differences may relate to the type of adulterant that is mixed into the food or drink. The findings of this study will be useful for systematizing product-tampering crimes and will contribute to food-defense and product-tampering criminal investigations.