Europol: €95 million worth of counterfeit or expired food seized worldwide

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 10. 06. 09:32

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In the fourteenth OPSON operation coordinated by Europol, the European Union’s police cooperation organization based in The Hague, law enforcement authorities from 31 countries, in cooperation with food and beverage manufacturers, seized approximately 11.5 tons of food and 1.4 million liters of (mainly alcoholic) beverages worldwide, worth a total of 95 million euros.

According to a statement from the EU police organization on Monday, 13 criminal organizations were dismantled, 631 people were prosecuted for counterfeiting, and 101 arrest warrants were issued as a result of 31,165 checks and investigations. The amount of counterfeit or expired food seized was 11,566,958 kilograms, and the amount of seized beverages was 1,416,168 liters.

The authorities also dismantled illegally operating slaughterhouses, meat and fish processing plants operating without a license, and seized various transport vehicles, electronic devices, false customs declarations and cash.

Further details were provided:

Most of the dismantled criminal groups obtained illegal income by connecting to the work of waste management companies and gaining access to destruction for expired food products. Solvents were used to remove the original best-before or expiration dates and new, counterfeit dates were printed on the packaging. The relabeled products were put on sale.

“The relabeling of expired food as a criminal method is not new, but its current scale is unprecedented”

– they stated in the Hague statement.

Such foods have not only deteriorated in terms of quality, but often also pose a health risk, they pointed out.

The food and However, fraud in the beverage sector is not limited to reprinting false expiration dates. Food and beverage counterfeiting and the misuse of geographical indications are also common, they noted.

The most common counterfeit foods are olive oil and wine with a protected designation of origin. Authorities also frequently seize fruits, vegetables, meat and meat products, seafood, and food supplements and additives of dubious origin, they said.