Attack on food traceability: Can a cybercriminal falsify the origin of a product?

Food traceability has become one of the most important pillars for ensuring food safety, regulatory compliance, and consumer trust. However, with the digitization of the supply chain and the adoption of technologies such as blockchain, IoT, and ERP systems, new vulnerabilities also emerge that can be exploited by cybercriminals.

In this article, we examine how a cybercriminal could manipulate traceability systems, the potential consequences for companies, and what cybersecurity measures should be implemented to mitigate this risk.

What is food traceability and why is it a target for cyberattacks?

Food traceability involves the set of processes, records, and technologies that allow tracking a food product from its origin to the final consumer. This includes data on the source of raw materials, transportation, storage, processing, and distribution.

Digitization has enabled this data to be managed on interconnected, and often decentralized, platforms. But that very interconnection exposes systems to attacks aimed at altering, stealing, or impersonating critical information.

A hacker who manages to manipulate a product’s traceability could:

• Falsify the geographic origin of a food item.

• Forge quality, organic, or designation-of-origin certifications.

• Alter production or expiration dates.

• Cover up regulatory noncompliance.

This makes traceability a strategic target for fraud, industrial sabotage, or even cyberterrorism within the food supply chain.

Attack techniques used to falsify food traceability

Manipulation of centralized databases

In many ERP or quality management systems, traceability information is stored in SQL or NoSQL databases. An attacker with privileged access—gained through phishing, stolen credentials, or exploiting vulnerabilities—can alter records, insert false data, or erase traces of manipulation.

Attacks on IoT devices in the supply chain

IoT sensors installed in transportation and storage track data such as temperature, humidity, and GPS location. If these devices lack end-to-end encryption, a hacker can intercept communications and falsify telemetry, producing reports that make it appear the shipment was handled safely when it was not.

Impersonation in poorly implemented blockchain systems

Although blockchain is considered a robust technology, its security depends on proper implementation. Errors in smart contracts, private key management, or data oracles can allow fraudulent information to be inserted into the chain, compromising system integrity.

Malware injection in enterprise management systems

Traceability systems are often integrated with enterprise management solutions (ERP, WMS, MES). Ransomware or trojans can alter data before encryption or even maintain silent persistence to manipulate the information flow without raising immediate suspicion.

Consequences of an attack on food traceability

Impact on consumer trust

A scandal involving the falsification of a product’s origin (for example, labeling a generic oil as “Protected Designation of Origin”) immediately undermines brand trust and can have serious legal repercussions.

Public health risks

Hiding information about contaminated batches or expiration dates directly endangers consumer health, with legal, reputational, and public safety consequences.

Economic losses and regulatory penalties

Detected fraud can result in multi-million-dollar fines for noncompliance with international standards such as ISO 22000, the U.S. FSMA, or European Union food safety regulations.

Exposure to cyber espionage and unfair competition

Beyond fraud, an attack could be used for industrial espionage, giving competitors access to sensitive information about suppliers, production costs, and logistics.

Cybersecurity strategies to protect food traceability

Encryption and authentication across the supply chain

It is essential to implement end-to-end encryption for IoT data transmission and multi-factor authentication for all access to traceability platforms.

Use of blockchain with trusted oracles and external audits

If blockchain is used, data input oracles must be protected against tampering, and regular security audits of smart contracts are necessary.

Zero Trust and industrial network segmentation

Adopting a Zero Trust security model means continuously verifying all users and devices. Additionally, segmenting production and management networks minimizes the risk of lateral movement in the event of an attack.

Monitoring and behavior analysis with AI

AI-based cybersecurity solutions can detect anomalous patterns, such as unusual access to traceability databases or suspicious changes in records.

Industry-Specific incident response plans

Beyond technical measures, companies must have a response plan that addresses public health impacts, communication with regulatory bodies, and management of reputational crises.

Food traceability, which was originally developed as a tool to increase transparency and trust, has become a prime target for cyberattackers. Falsifying a product’s origin no longer relies solely on fraudulent physical documentation—it now involves compromising interconnected digital systems.

Companies in the food sector must understand that protecting traceability means protecting their reputation, regulatory compliance, and the health of their consumers. Investing in cybersecurity is no longer optional: it is the only way to ensure that the promise of quality and food safety remains intact in the digital age.