Editorial: Trends in analytical methods for customs laboratories

With the rapid growth of global social relations, human beings are now interconnected on a planetary scale to degrees not previously known. This has raised numerous headline issues for public policy. Within-world exchanges are greatly facilitated by international commercial treaties with customs laboratories playing a key role in antifraud operations. There are numerous situations where accurate controls are required, notably in determining the authenticity and origin of products, in detecting illegal imports like narcotics and their precursors, in protecting consumers against dangerous goods, counterfeited drugs or contaminated food, in safeguarding the environment and endangered species etc.