Food Fraud - The Danish approach

Here you will find information about the efforts made by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration to tackle the challenges regarding food fraud.

Food Fraud means a risk for customers and consumers. Not only for being cheated in an economic way; In worst case consumers are at risk of illness since the quality and origin of counterfeit food - or food traded in illegal ways - are often unknown. At the same time food fraud means unfair competition to food companies who do their best to comply with legislation.

What is Food Fraud?

On the EU-level four criteria are used to define food fraud:

  1. Violation of EU Food Law
  2. Intention
  3. Economic gain
  4. Deception of customers

DVFA-units that works with food fraud on an operational level

  • The Food Inspection Task Force was established in 2006. The unit is also known as "The Flying Squad". Today more than 40 employees with different backgrounds from investigation, law, information technology, accounting and food science assists the ordinary food inspection units in cases regarding suspicion of Food Fraud.
  • The Veterinary Inspection Task Force is focused on fraud in primary production of animals.
  • The DVFA Laboratory offers a variety of analyzing methods related to food integrity and authenticity.
  • The Alert Unit for Food and Feed handles RASFF and AAC notifications regarding food fraud cases.
Illustration by Mie Nørgaard, Nordic threat assessment seminar 2018

Nordic Food Fraud Threat Assesment

From 2018 to 2022 the Danish Veterinary and Food Inspection participated in a project under Nordic Council of Ministers. The project resulted in a common nordic threat assessment on food fraud which was published in march 2023.

Find the english version of the nordic food fraud threat assessment report here