EU details potential frauds in early 2025
Adulteration, traceability and illegal imports were among suspected food fraud and non-compliance cases discussed recently by European member states.
The number of issues reported was 220 in January 2025. This is down from 248 alerts in December 2024 and 277 in January 2024.
The issues listed are potential frauds. Non-compliance may prompt investigations by authorities in EU member states. Details come from a monthly report published by the European Commission.
Data includes suspected cross-border fraud topics shared between members of the Alert and Cooperation Network (ACN) and retrieved from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), Administrative Assistance and Cooperation Network (AAC) and the Agri-Food Fraud Network (FFN).
The data covers food, animal feed, food contact materials, animal welfare for farmed animals, plant protection products, and veterinary medicine products that end up as residues and contaminants in food and feed.
The aims are to assist national authorities in setting up risk-based controls to combat fraudulent and deceptive practices, help the food sector with vulnerability assessments, and identify emerging risks.
A total of 63 notices mentioned fruits and vegetables, with the majority being non-compliant because of pesticide residues. The category of other food product/mixed was second with 21 alerts. Dietetic foods, food supplements, and fortified foods were third with 20 notices.
Examples of issues raised
The majority of issues were uncovered through border inspections or market controls. On 22 occasions, the source of detection was a company’s internal check and 12 times it was a consumer complaint.
Three alerts involved the United States in January. They were tartrazine in a pickle snack, magnesium in metal form in food supplements, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in organic hemp seed oil.
Product tampering cases included sunflower oil and other vegetable oils in olive oil from Greece and Italy. Examples of alleged adulteration were pork undeclared in chicken sausages and water addition in tuna.
Ethylene oxide was detected in white pepper, ground cardamom, and paprika from Turkey and xanthan gum from China.
Record tampering incidents involved gluten in gluten-free gummies and gluten-free buckwheat and lactose in a lactose-free dairy spread.
Potential forgery of documents of lamb meat from Romania and unclear traceability of butter from Denmark were other topics mentioned. Illegal import and unauthorized operators caused some issues. Several products also skipped border controls.
Chicken meat from Belgium was unfit for human consumption and there were transport temperature concerns about fish and meat in the Netherlands.
Several non-compliances mentioned ingredients not authorized in the EU, health claims, and pesticides above the maximum residue limits (MRL).
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