Fraud and non-compliance issues discussed in August by European countries were at their lowest level since reporting began in early 2024. The number of food and other fraud suspicions raised by EU member states declined in August. The 222 alerts are down from 325 in July, 265 in June, 281 in May, 341 in April, 345 in March, and 318 in February.
There were 277 in January. 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). It 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 46 notices mentioned fruit and vegetables, with the majority being non-compliant due to pesticide residues. Dietetic foods, supplements, and fortified foods ranked second with 37 alerts.
Herbs and spices climbed to third, while cere.