Swindled: The Dark History of Food Fraud, from Poisoned Candy to Counterfeit Coffee: Bad food has a history, and food writer Bee Wilson tells it. Through a fascinating mix of cultural and scientific history, food politics and culinary detective work, Wilson uncovers the many ways swindlers have cheapened, falsified and even poisoned our food throughout history. Arguing that industrialization, laissez-faire politics and globalization have all hurt the quality of food, but also that food swindlers have always been helped by consumer ignorance, Swindled ultimately calls for both governments and individuals to be more vigilant and suggests that our best protection is to reeducate ourselves about the joys of food and cooking.
Bee Wilson writes a weekly food column for London's Sunday Telegraph and is a former food critic for the New Statesman. She has been named Food Journalist of the Year by the Guild of Food Writers and Food Writer of the Year by BBC Radio 4.