The growing problem of ‘food fraud’ is costing food and wine industries around $3 billion a year, according to a new report released by AgriFutures.

The problem manifests in multiple ways, including substitution, counterfeiting and adulteration of products.

One of the study’s co-authors, Deakin University professor Rebecca Lester, said food fraud is widespread.

“It’s unfortunately across just about everything,” she said on 6PR Breakfast.

“Anytime we’re buying things that are not in their whole, native form and have been processed, or in instances where there’s actually quite a big discrepancy between the cheaper end of the market and the really high end of the market, our produce is vulnerable to food fraud.”

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